Darkness: A New Vengeance
by J.R.R. Not-Tolkien
Summary: The Ninja are all grown up and married, and their teenage kids and adopted students are almost ready to take their places as Elemental Masters and the next defenders of Ninjago. But there's a shadow darkening their dojo home . . . and a mysterious prophecy that tests the Elemental Heirs - and their parents - against the ultimate enemy (LEFT INCOMPLETE ON PURPOSE)
1. Troublemakers

**Okay, so some of you (back when I was a wee little FanFictionerdlette XD) may remember a story I wrote called _Darkness: A New Vengeance_. If not, hey there! XD New story for y'all XD**

 **Enough wid dat XD So yeah, some of you may remember _Darkness: A New Vengeance._ No, I did not decide to rewrite it, just republish it the right way, since I had no clue what I was doing putting up ten chapters at once XD**

 **Before you read: better give you some preliminary stuff:**

 **-This story takes place after Possession (so Skybound does not exist)**

 **-The Ninja are married and have kids, which are the main characters in this story**

 **-This story takes place in a universe where Ronin was not involved in Possession (very important fact, remember that!)**

 **-The only encounter the Ninja had with Ronin was via _Shadow of Ronin_ , which most Ninjago fans will recognize as the popular Ninjago video game and app (also important: drum this into your head! XD)**

 **-Sensei Garmadon is still alive!**

 **-The Ninja have also adopted children**

 **This story may be crummy since I started writing it about a year ago, and the style may be different from the way I write now. If any of the Ninja seem out of character, that may either be from character maturity or bad writing skills on my part (e.g., Jay. Yes, I'm acknowledging that I may have wrote Jay really out of character in this chapter)**

 **Since I didn't wanna put you through the trouble of figuring out the OCs I use to ship with the Ninja in my "wartime" sorta universe, I used strictly canon ships.**

 **So . . . my poll winner is: Gold Rush! And I put up a new poll that I REALLY need people to check out! Twenty-five votes, pweeze? XD**

 **Welp, see ya laters alligators!**

* * *

 **Chapter I: Troublemakers**

"CADIO MARCUS!" Sensei Cole Brookstone stormed through the Temple of Eight Whirlwinds. "When I get my hands on that kid-"

Sensei Jay Walker peeked out of his classroom. "Cadio causing problems again?"

Cole nodded. Jay yelled back to his students, "Break until I get back! And don't smash anything! That means you, Kelvin, or you won't be able to sit down for a month!" Then he joined his friend as they walked down the hallway. "What did Mr. Marcus do this time?" Jay inquired.

Cole scowled. "He stole my best staff!"

Jay sighed. "Which one?"

"The Golden Staff of Dragons."

The Master of Lightning's eyes widened. "Oh, geez, if Cadio gets anywhere with that thing, this dojo will probably cave in!"

Cole nodded. "And if _that_ wasn't bad enough, he blunted one of my best katanas trying to chop down a tree in the courtyard."

"Was it a cherry tree?" Jay joked. "You know nothing good really came of that for old George except that he learned that honesty is the right way to go." Then he sighed. "I'm not having much better luck with Kacey and Kelvin. Kacey acts like she knows more than my kids, and she can barely do a somersault without getting dizzy. And Kelvin . . . well, most of the time I can tape his mouth shut, but sometimes he can evade even me. He talks like a pompous brat, and it disgusts me so much that sometimes I want to throw up."

"Trying to parent teenagers and foster a particularly rebellious one is a lot harder than I thought," Cole agreed. "Sometimes I think Cadio should have been named 'Cardiac' because he's gonna give me a heart attack at some point."

"You're tellin' me, pal. But we can't just sit around while Cadio-Cardiac Arrest destroys this place. Let's hightail it!"

* * *

While Cole and Jay were hot on the trail of a dangerous Cadio, the other Elemental Masters were having no better luck with their adopted students.

* * *

Sensei Kai Fiero shook his head in dismay. "How in Ninjago were you able to destroy a perfectly good tatami mat in less than FIVE minutes?!"

Gilligan shrugged innocently. "It wasn't me, Sensei Kai. It was Phoenix who done it."

" _Did_ it," his sensei corrected him. "And no, Phoenix did _not_ do it. She's not even here. This has your handwriting all over it, Gilligan Mueller, and this time, you're not getting away with it!"

As Kai approached, Gilligan took a pen from his pocket and caught his teacher's robes by the sleeve. Then he deliberately scribbled all over Kai's sleeve. "Now _that's_ got my handwritten' all over it!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

"ARGH!" Kai shrieked in frustration. Even his sons, Matthias and Hiro, had to stifle a laugh at their dad's irritation with Gilligan.

"Kai, what-" His wife, Skylor, looked into the classroom.

"Nothing, it's nothing," Kai said hastily. "Nothing I can't handle, right?"

Skylor gave him a look. " _Ri-i-ight._ " Then, she returned to the hallway, sliding the bamboo screen door shut behind her.

"You're gonna pay for that, you little-" Kai charged around the room after his hysterically giggling student, eyes blazing with fury.

"Da-a-ad!" Hiro complained. "We're supposed to be studying karate, not 'how to give Gilligan a permanent rug burn'!"

"Lesson plan changed, Hiro," Kai replied, charging after Gilligan, who promptly knocked over a bonsai plant with a "Whoopsie!", before skittering out the door, followed closely by his furious teacher.

* * *

In another part of the monastery, Sensei Zane Julien was having problems of his own. Someone had taken the liberty of "forgetting" to tell him someone had "accidentally" tossed his white robes in with Kai's red ones in the wash, and now Zane's robes were a bright shade of pink.

Borrowing some spare robes from Jay, Zane tried to bleach out his pink robes. While doing so with utmost fervency, he overheard some students talking in the hall. "How'd ya manage to do that?" He first heard Cadio Marcus's voice.

"It was pretty easy." A second voice, the one of his own adopted student, Monty McLean, replied. "All I did was sneak into his room after dark, when he's meditating somewhere else, grab his robes, and boom! One pink ninja!"

"Hee, hee, hee!" A third voice, Gilligan Mueller's, giggled. "You shoulda seen what I done to Sensei Kai's robe sleeve!"

These three were part of what the children of the Elemental Masters aptly nicknamed, "The Troublemakers." The other members were Kacey and Kelvin Delancey, and Opal Stonesthrow.

Zane stalked out of his classroom and caught Monty by the collar at the same time Cole and Jay tackled Cadio and Kai seized Gilligan. "You boys just earned yourselves a month of probation," Cole said sternly. "Cadio, you should know better than mess with Ninjago's most dangerous staff, AND blunt a perfectly good katana for a ridiculous purpose!"

"You first shredded a perfectly good tatami training mat, then wrote all over my sleeve with permanent marker, then knocked over my surprise for Skylor!" Kai exploded at Gilligan.

"You sneaked into my private apartment without permission, stole my robes, and no doubt snuck into Kai's apartment and threw my robes in with his laundry, knowing all the while they would turn pink!" Zane was furious. "If it weren't for Jay, I'd probably be even more infuriated AND humiliated since I would have to wear those ridiculous pink robes!"

"Thanks, Zane," Jay said. "Now, if you gentlemen would excuse me, my Kelvin buzzer went off." With that, he dashed back down the hall like a bolt of greased lightning.

"'Kelvin buzzer'?" Kai frog-marched Gilligan toward the principals' office, followed by Cole and Zane, both firmly holding onto their students' shoulders.

"It's his nickname for the 'Kelvin's gonna get in trouble' instinct," Cole explained.

Zane couldn't stifle a chuckle. "It's hard believing you two are best friends again. You used to be at odds about nearly everything."

Cole had to laugh. "That was before I met Seliel."

* * *

In yet another part of the temple, Sensei Lloyd Garmadon, the Green Ninja, was having even more problems. "Where did that girl go?" he muttered. He told his three children, Saige, Lloyd Jr., and Harrison, "Stay here and keep an eye out for Opal, kids. That girl's in big trouble."

Saige groaned. "What did she do _this_ time, Dad?" She was the Heir to the Green Ninja, as she was Lloyd's oldest, while her brothers inherited two Elements each.

"She stole a recording from the Restricted Section of the library," her father replied. "'Tales From the Glaive', I think."

Lloyd Jr. raised an eyebrow. "You mean the Obsidian Glaive that Ronin used to steal the Elemental Masters' memories? _That_ Glaive?"

"One and the same." With that, Lloyd Sr. turned and headed out the classroom door into the main corridor.

"What's up with Dad?" Harrison wondered. "He's been really quiet lately, especially when dealing with Opal."

Sapphire, Opal's younger sister, shrugged. "Opal can stress anyone out, even the most powerful Spinjitzu Master in Ninjago."

"Sometimes it's hard believing you two are related," Lloyd Jr. noted. "I mean, she's sort of a show-off, and you're so modest and quiet."

"It's hard believing I'm related to her on my end too," Sapphire agreed.

Saige was silent during the conversation. "Sis?" Harrison waved his hand in front of his older sister's face. "Yoo hoo, Ninjago to Saige, you still here?"

Saige blinked. "What? Oh, sorry, just thinking."

"What about?" Then, Harrison smirked. "Ohhh, is that what, or should I say _who_ you were thinking about?"

Saige blushed furiously. " **No** , that's not it." She sighed heavily. "All this responsibility I have for being the heir to the Green Ninja is raising a lot of questions for me, that's all."

Lloyd Jr. raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you talk to Dad about it? He's the Green Ninja until he dies, after all."

"My questions are so confusing that even Dad wouldn't understand them, not even Grandpa Garmadon or Great-Uncle Wu." Saige tried to shove the thoughts out of her mind. "And besides, Dad said to keep an eye out for Opal. We should do that instead."

"Then look no further, my Green Ninja friend." A figure dressed in blue entered the room. It was Jayjay Walker, the oldest son of Sensei Jay. "I caught Opal sneaking into the Restricted Section of the library, even though she already filled up her library card," he said, depositing a disgruntled Opal Stonesthrow, hands bound behind her back with shock-cuffs, one of Walker father and son's inventions. He undid the cuffs, and they vanished into his pocket with a crack of lightning.

"And I think your dad wanted this." Jayjay handed Saige a weather-beaten leather volume that Opal had hidden in her satchel.

"'Tales From the Glaive'," Saige read the title imprinted on the cover. "Yeah, that's the one. Thanks, Jayjay."

"No problemo. Now, if you pardon me, I can hear Kelvin yelling at Dad again. I'd better hear what Mr. Motor-Mouth has to say _this_ time." With that, the young ninja trainee darted down the hall like a bolt of lightning.

Saige sighed dreamily. Lloyd Jr. groaned. "Seriously, Saige, you're gonna have to pay more attention to what's happening," he said, catching Opal by the collar as she tried to sneak back out. "Otherwise, Jayjay would have swung by for nothing."

"Yeah," Harrison chimed in.

"Grr. . ." Opal grumbled.

* * *

After telling Sensei Lloyd about Opal, Jayjay Walker backtracked down his footsteps to the Lightning classroom. He could hear Kelvin talking back to Sensei Jay. Yep, he had been right. Kelvin had done something else now. What was it this time?

When he stepped into the room, Kelvin pointed at Jayjay. "Get my point? Even your son doesn't know how to enter a room without making a fool of himself. And you call yourself a master of Spinjitzu? Seriously, _**Mister**_ Walker-"

Jayjay was indignant. "I didn't slip on a banana peel, buster," he snapped, "and if you're trying to insult my family name, let me tell you something: the Walkers are one of the most honorable families of Ninjago, defending this country from the grip of evil-"

"Oh, save the speech, lightning-mouth," Kelvin retorted.

"Who're you calling 'lightning-mouth'?" Jayjay demanded. Uncharacteristic of the Walkers, Jayjay had a somewhat short temper, more common to the Fiero family. He inherited it from his mom, Miss Nya Fiero. "You're one to talk, hypocrite! First you insult my family, then you try to make me look like an idiot-"

"STOP!" The two boys turned to Sensei Jay. His arms were folded across his chest, and a fierce scowl across his face. Jayjay had never seen his normally cheerful father so angry and disappointed at the same time.

"Kelvin, enough is enough, but this time you've taken it too far," Jay said. "You've tried to disgrace my family's name, telling me lies to my face that have never, and will never, happen. Then you accuse my son of being a cheating thief, when in truth, _you're_ the thief, stealing a person's sanity with your heartless words. I'm ashamed and very disappointed in you."

"So what?" Kelvin scoffed.

"You should be more grateful to my dad!" Jayjay exploded. "After all he's done for you and your sister, you should at least respect his authority as your adopted father and your martial arts master! Instead, you treat him, and us, like we're inferior to you, bragging about your skills when you can barely smash a board in half, daring me to do things you know would get me into trouble, or worse, talking back to Dad when he's trying to help you, and the list goes on and on. I've had it with you, you ungrateful pompous little **LIAR!** "

With that, Jayjay turned on his heel and stormed out, face red with anger.


	2. Anger

**YAY! New chappie! I'll be able to put 'em up faster since I've got ten chapters already written, so . . . _don't get used to it!_ XD**

 **Thank you guys for your support on Chapter I! Just gotta clear something up first:**

 **Netbug009: About the summary . . . when I said I didn't have enough time to put up a summary, I literally meant that at the time, I was going to get in trouble with my parents if they noticed I typed another minute over my time. I was already two minutes over; I didn't wanna risk losing typing time. I put up a summary now, since I now can take the time to write one. I appreciate you letting me know that.**

 **'Kay, now that I've cleared that up: thank you so much for your favorites, follows, and reviews on Chapter I! Shout-outs to JayFan67 (reviewer), LovetheLORD (reviewer, follower, and favoriter), WispKunoichiOfFrozenAether (reviewer), and BlackNBlue39 (follower and favoriter)! You guys rock! :D**

 **Now, without further ado: Chapter II! (And don't forget to vote on my poll if you haven't already! XD 23 more votes to go!)**

* * *

 **Chapter II: Anger**

"I've had it with that kid," Jayjay growled.

"I can understand why," his cousin, Matthias Fiero agreed. "Kelvin gets on everyone's nerves with his big-mouthed talking, but I didn't know he was trying to disgrace your family."

"Dad told me some of the stuff he said after he put that little punk on probation." Jayjay kicked at the ground in disgust.

"Like what?" Thalia Brookstone, Sensei Cole's oldest, asked.

"He said that Kelvin said that someone in Jamanakai Village said that your dad-" Jayjay nodded to Thalia "-was going to marry my mom, but my dad carried her off and married her anyway."

Thalia's eyes widened. "That's scandalous! My dad would have told me if that were true. He told me that after he met my mom, he told your dad that he liked her better than Miss Nya!"

Jayjay nodded. "And then he said that Dad was making up stories to make himself look good when he was teaching us a History of Ninjago lesson about the Stone Warriors that invaded Ninjago back when our fathers were Ninjago's ninja patrol."

Avery Julien, the android son of Sensei Zane, shook his head. "They definitely were real," he agreed. "If they were not, why are there still remnant statues on display at the Ninjago City Museum of History? And, if I may add, far away from the Great Devourer exhibit and under careful guard?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Jayjay said. He sighed. "I don't understand why the Troublemakers are so. . . ungrateful to our parents, despite the fact that they even took them into our lives as students, and, dare I say it, family. I mean, take Kelvin for example. Or even better, Cadio."

Saige Garmadon nodded. "I don't get it either. The only respectful adopted student in this entire dojo is Sapphire Stonesthrow, and she's pretty quiet, despite the fact she has a self-centered, loud-mouthed older sister."

"Would talking about the Troublemakers behind their backs like this be considered gossiping?" Sky Walker, the second oldest Walker child and the oldest Walker girl, asked. She normally went by her middle name, Jaya.

"I don't think so," Thalia said, but she sounded doubtful. "I mean, everyone in this temple, even Senseis Garmadon, Wu, and Misako know about the Troublemakers' shenanigans. Gossip might be defined as, uh-"

"'Gossip: casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true'," recited Annaliese Julien, the oldest daughter of Sensei Zane.

"How'd you do that so fast?" Matthias exclaimed.

Annaliese shrugged. "Reading the dictionary with a large memory bank has its upsides."

"I guess that answers my question," Jaya said.

Jayjay held his chin in his hands. "Anyway, I wish there was something we could do about it," he said, heaving a deep sigh. "I don't know how much longer I can handle their ungratefulness."

* * *

Matthias Fiero more fully understood his cousin Jayjay's feelings that night at evening exercises. As he was walking with his siblings, Hiro and Phoenix, to the main dojo complex, a foot slipped out of nowhere and Matthias stumbled right over it, slamming to the paved ground with a thud. He felt his lip swell, and blood trickled out of his mouth.

Hiro pulled his older brother up. "You alright, bro?"

"Could be better," Matthias muttered.

"What's this?" Phoenix picked something up off the ground. It was small, white, and bloody. "You knocked out a tooth?" she exclaimed, shocked.

"Good for him." A sneering voice came from the path in front of the three Fiero kids.

Matthias covered his bleeding mouth with his gloved hand. "Nice going, Cadio," he snapped. "Dad's going to kill you when he finds out."

Cadio Marcus shrugged. "S'what you say, fish-face. But I gotta say, you haven't looked better in your life. Where'd you get the lip?"

"Leave Matt alone!" Phoenix burst out. At only eleven, she was the youngest ninja trainee, so she didn't have the wealth of experience her two older brothers, fifteen and thirteen, had with Cadio.

Cadio sniggered. "Cute, little firebird. But cute's not gonna save your flounder-headed numbskull of a brother from getting a pounding."

Hiro stepped in front of Matthias and Phoenix, hands raised in a combat gesture. His eyes were burning with vengeance for his injured brother and insulted sister. "Say that again, punk, and you're gonna get a knuckle sandwich, Skeleton General not included."

Cadio narrowed his eyes at Hiro. Matthias was about to say, "Don't do it, Hiro-", but he was too late. Before he knew what was happening, Cadio pummeled Hiro, knocking him to the ground.

Phoenix cheered, "Go get 'im, Hiro!"

Matthias groaned. Cadio had his fists in Hiro's face, and seemed to have the upper hand on the younger boy. But the son of the Master of Fire wasn't down, not by a long shot. When Cadio raised his fist, Hiro slammed his fist into the bully's cheek, making it swell up like an allergic reaction. "Ooh!" Cadio seized his cheek, and Hiro seized the opportunity to push Cadio off him and jump to his feet.

He rolled up his robe sleeves. "It's payback time," he snarled. While Cadio was still on the ground, Hiro leapt into the air. But Cadio was only faking serious injury. Before Hiro could reach his target, he was dealt a blow so hard that he flew backwards and almost into the door of the main temple complex.

If Sensei Cole hadn't stepped outside to see what was delaying the four students, Hiro would have been more seriously injured. Instead, he almost slammed into Sensei Cole, who caught him mid-flight. Cole looked out at the scene outside, from Matthias's swollen lip and bleeding mouth, to Cadio's triumphant smirk, to Phoenix's look of fear, and analyzed the situation in an instant.

"Inside, _**NOW,**_ " he ordered. Matthias and Phoenix went inside, sighing with relief. Cadio stayed outside, arms akimbo and feet planted firmly on the ground. "Cadio," Cole warned, his voice kept at a dangerous calm, "you're already on probation. Do you want to take the risk of being put in detention?"

Cadio smirked. "Why should I care? There's no such thing as detention. I'm gonna stay right here for as long as I want."

"You're acting like a two-year-old," Matthias muttered under his breath.

Cadio caught Matthias's disgust, and groaned. " **FINE."** He stalked into the dojo complex, attempting a swipe at Matthias as he went past to join his fellow Troublemakers.


	3. Hidden Worries

**Okay . . . another chapter. This one is boring. At least I think so. Hope you're not too disappointed.**

 **I'm feeling a little stupid right now for making a big deal over my _Teen Beach Movie_ poll, since I now know what my casting is. (That was pretty much what the poll was deciding.) I took it down, and thank you to the two people who took the time to vote. I've got a new poll up now if anyone wants to look at it. Oh yeah, and I'll be beginning _Ninjago Studios: Modern Disney: Teen Beach Ninja_ soon. Yay.**

 **Sorry if I sound really depressed, I'm going through a weird mood swing right now. I am _really_ excited for _Teen Beach Ninja_ , but I can't portray it honestly right now. Guess it's my idiot pity party factor kicking in. . . Thanks for your guys' reviews on Chapter II.**

 **Well, better get this over with. . .**

* * *

 **Chapter III: Hidden Worries**

Kai shook his head sadly when he saw the state his children were in. Phoenix's eyes were darting from Cadio to the other Troublemakers, fearful of what they might do next. Hiro's eye had been blacked, and he was panting heavily to loss of breath. Matthias had to keep an ice-pack on his lip to lower the swelling, and his mouth continued to bleed, no matter how many times he cleaned it.

"Permission to skip evening exercises," Matthias mumbled, embarrassed.

"Permission granted," Kai replied. Matthias scooted over to the older students, which consisted of Jayjay Walker, Saige Garmadon, Thalia Brookstone, and Avery Julien.

* * *

Jayjay, along with his creative talents and lightning-fast mind and wit, had a strong sense of duty and moral code, and was easily angered at things he considered wrong. Which was just about anything that went against the code of the ninja.

Saige, the oldest daughter and child of the Green Ninja, was often deep in thought, and worrying about the responsibilities she would have as the next Green Ninja.

Thalia was pretty easy-going, with her feet planted firmly in reality, a trait she shared only with her father, and following every goal set before her. She definitely took after her father, Cole, in looks and personality.

Intellectual and often mysterious, Avery Julien was somewhat more talkative than he appeared to be. To a complete stranger, he would hardly respond to much, and when he did, it was in few words. But when you got to know him, as with his siblings, he revealed himself to be kind, friendly, and even funny at times. His ice-blue eyes, framed by thin black-rimmed glasses, masked a cold fire that he hardly ever released.

* * *

The second-level students, the middle kids, were all fourteen years of age. In order of family, this group had these four: Krissy Brookstone, the second daughter of Cole, who was extremely jumpy and easy to startle. None of her friends or family know how she inherited her timidness.

Then there was Sky "Jaya" Walker, a pretty girl with a similar personality to her mother, Nya, with a don't-tread-on-me attitude, but with a good sense of humor, like her father, Jay.

The third fourteen-year-old was Annaliese Julien, the Nindroid daughter of Zane, who was known for providing weird (to the Troublemakers) and cool (to everyone else) factoids and informational tidbits. She had read every dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia for fun, and memorized every book available to the students in the Sacred Library.

The last, but not least, teen in this group was Lloyd Garmadon, Jr. Serious and thoughtful, Lloyd Jr. took after his father in personality and looks, and shared his logic and wisdom.

* * *

The first-level students were all thirteen, with the exception of Phoenix Fiero. Soren Brookstone, the youngest son of Cole and Seliel, was extremely closed-off, always daydreaming and was never seen without a book nearby. He wasn't very easy to get to know, but a few kids, like the Juliens and Sapphire Stonesthrow, had become possibly his only friends besides his family. Unlike the rest of his family, he wore black thick-rimmed glasses.

Jules Walker, the youngest daughter of Jay and Nya, was always cheerful, ready with a helping hand and a smile. But like her older siblings, she could get sarcastic, and she shared the same trait as freaking out easily. The interesting thing about Jules is that she was the only student with braces. Even though the Troublemakers called her "Fence-Face" or "Tinsel-Teeth," she ignored it, and even liked her braces.

Annika Julien, the youngest Julien, was extremely quiet, only opening up to Soren Brookstone and Sapphire Stonesthrow. She had a particular interest in dragons, and spent most of her free time reading up every book in the Sacred Library about dragons, and what was known about them.

Hiro Fiero, the middle child of Kai and Skylor, had his father's temper, and his mother's sly persona. He could creep up on you and pounce without you even knowing. His temper and extreme sense of justice made him a feisty fighter, and you wouldn't want to get on Hiro's bad side. His little sister, eleven-year-old Phoenix, was a little too easy to insult, and she often acted on impulse.

Thirteen-year-old Harrison Garmadon was the youngest son of Lloyd and Chamille, and he was had his father's mischievous streak that Lloyd had as a kid.

These fifteen were the Elemental Heirs, destined to inherit their parents' powers and take their place protecting Ninjago when they came of age, which was seventeen, the same age the Ninja were when they became ninja.

* * *

The Troublemakers, on the other hand, were a completely different bunch of bananas. Cadio Marcus has already been described enough.

Kacey and Kelvin Delancey, the adopted students of the Walkers, shared the same traits: loud voices, talking back to their teachers, and spreading rumors and gossip about the Ninja and their families. More than once, Jay and Nya were forced to put muzzles on these twins in order to keep their mouths shut.

Monty McLean, the adopted student of the Julien family, was a medium-Troublemaker. He wasn't rude or mean like the other Troublemakers, but he did have a habit of disobeying the orders of his teachers. He was somewhat of a push-over, and was rather intimidated and afraid of Cadio Marcus, so he did whatever Cadio told him to do. The laundry heist earlier that day was his first independent job.

Gilligan Mueller, the Fieros' adopted student, was overly mischievous, pulling pranks or destroying property whenever he got the chance. Kai had to be careful to check his mouthwash to make sure that Gilligan didn't slip hot sauce into it.

Opal and Sapphire Stonesthrow were as different as a Persian cat and a Labrador retriever. Opal was loud-mouthed and prissy, always preening herself and trying to show off to her crush, Lloyd Garmadon Jr. She had made a personal enemy with Jaya Walker, and tried to paint the more attractive, in looks and personality, girl in a bad light. Sapphire, her younger sister, was meek and quiet, developed by years of being picked on by her older sister. She was sweet and gentle, and liked by all the Elemental Heirs, not really considered a Troublemaker by any standards.

There you have it: the personalities of all 22 students of the Elemental Masters. You shall go deeper into their personalities in the future, but I have this basic overview to give you a head's start.

* * *

"How can tripping over someone's foot result with such injuries?" Avery tried to sound as polite as he could, but he couldn't hide his incredulity.

"If it suddenly appears in my path maybe," Matthias mumbled.

Jayjay patted his cousin on the back reassuringly. "Don't worry about it, Matt. We'll fix it up the best we can, right guys?" The other three fifteen-year-olds nodded assent.

Matthias smiled a little, then winced. "Thanks, guys."

Headmaster Garmadon was leading evening exercises. "Tonight we will begin our first session in the Art of the Silent Fist," he began, "to fight without fighting."

"Cool!" the Elemental Heirs murmured excitedly.

"How can you fight, like, without fighting?" Kacey Delancey's obnoxious voice came from the Troublemakers' corner. Opal Stonesthrow giggled.

"You will see, Miss Kacey. In fact, you can experience it yourself. Step forward."

Kacey paled. "Serves her right," Jules Walker muttered to Astrid Julien. "No one should ever question Sensei Garmadon."

Trembling a little, Kacey approached the elderly master. The father of Lloyd Garmadon, the husband of Headmistress Misako, the brother of Principal Wu, and the oldest son of the First Spinjitzu Master, Headmaster Garmadon was the wisest, and oldest, Master of Spinjitzu the young ninja-in-training had ever known.

* * *

The Elemental Masters watched in silence as Kacey approached Garmadon. Thoughts swam through their heads like wayward dolphins. Had it really been fifteen, no, nearly sixteen years ago that they decided to settle down, raise families, and train them to become the next generation of ninja?

They still felt as young as they did when Sensei Wu, now Principal Wu, first recruited them to be his team of ninja.

Cole still felt worry that he would somehow hurt or let his children, wife, students, and friends down.

Jay still felt insecurity about himself and his relationship with his wife, Nya.

Zane still felt like there was a mystery about his life, something he didn't know, an unfillable emptiness.

Kai felt a need to avenge the death of his father, for a reason he nor his family could comprehend.

And Lloyd felt weak and even helpless at times when he thought he couldn't do anything to help his family.

The Elemental Masters' wives were also dealing with problems and hidden worries of their own.

Seliel, Cole's wife, the Master of Chemistry, felt a need to make a difference in her world as a fighter, though she had already gained love and respect from her husband, kids, and students as a warrior, wife, mother, and teacher.

Nya, Jay's wife, Kai's younger sister, and the Master of Water, often wondered whether she made the right choice when she married Jay. After the "Perfect Match: Nya + Cole" thing had been cleared up, she had gone back to loving Jay without hindrance. Cole didn't hold anything against her, as he had fallen for Seliel. But sometimes, Nya doubted that Jay even loved her, and wondered why she married him.

Pixal, Zane's wife and the second Nindroid Master of Ice and Technology, wondered if she was doing enough for her children, husband, and students. She felt like she was capable of much more than she was doing now, and felt like she was doing too little.

Skylor, Kai's wife and the Master of Amber, felt a sense of loneliness, that none of her children shared her powers, and that she had no students to guide with their powers like her fellow ninja.

And Chamille, Lloyd's wife and the Master of Form, felt the same fears and worries as her brother: that she would accidentally hurt or fail her children and husband, especially Saige, the heir to the Green Ninja and her only daughter.

These doubts, fears, and worries were masked by their personalities, but all of the Elemental Masters had secrets, and these hidden thoughts might trip them up, especially in what was coming ahead.


	4. The Prophecy

**I'm back again! :D I've snapped out of my blue funk! YAY! Must be alla cheerful music I've been listening to lately XD**

 **I'm going on a bit of a _Teen Beach Movie_ craze lately (that's all I've been listening to in the past two or three days XD) and I can officially say that I LOVE IT!**

 **Whoops, off on a tangent again XD Now where was I . . . oh yeah! Thank you guys so much for your reviews on the previous chapters! I'll be responding to reviewers on both Chapters II and III, since I was kinda too sulky to answer the ones for II at the time I published III.**

 **WispKunoichiOfFrozenAether: I'm glad you like it! :D**

 **LovetheLORD (love that username! #God's Not Dead!): Yah, I hate Cadio XD I thought it would be cute to have one of the kids to have a ship name for their middle name, and why not Jaya? XD Btw, have you figured out the pun I did with one of the teenager's names? Hint: she's the one who goes by Jaya! ;D**

 **JayFan67: Yeah, I just did that XD**

 **LovetheLORD (again XD): I hope so too. . . ;)**

 **Welp, here's Chapter IV! Things are gettin' interesting . . .**

* * *

 **Chapter IV: The Prophecy**

Kacey Delancey approached Headmaster Garmadon, trembling a little. "Me and my big mouth," she thought angrily.

"Now, attack me," Garmadon said calmly. "But, no powers please. I'd like to keep the monastery in one piece." The Elemental Heirs and their parents had to laugh. That was exactly what Garmadon had said to Lloyd when he was demonstrating Art of the Silent Fist.

Kacey gulped. "Uh, yes, sensei." She tried to remember a move that her teacher and adopted mother, Nya Walker, had taught her. "Why didn't I pay more attention?" she thought. Then, she remembered.

First, she backed up. Then, she ran toward the elderly master and leapt into the air, feet extended in a weak crane kick. But before she could hit her target, Garmadon ducked, and Kacey went flying into one of the walls. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't exactly developed a strong pain-numbing streak like her fellow students had. A painful bruise appeared on her face.

Kacey whirled around, and ran back toward Garmadon with a battle cry. She attempted a punch, and with one graceful movement, Garmadon dodged the blow. "Let your opponent fight herself," he instructed the students. The sudden dodge sent Kacey sprawling to the floor. Now the young Troublemaker was getting angry.

"You asked for it!" she yelled. She leapt up again, and attempted an aerial triple-somersault, but instead got herself dizzy, off-course, and into another wall.

 _Kacey's wearing herself out_ , Lloyd remembered. He had gone up against his father in Art of the Silent Fist before, and failed, despite the power he had had as the Golden Ninja.

Kacey indeed was growing exhausted. Punch after kick after leap, she tried vainly to bring Garmadon down. But he always managed to step aside, dodge, or duck the blows, and let her fly into walls and pillars, all the while giving advice to the students in Art of the Silent Fist as if he were simply drinking a warm cup of tea and chatting, not in a duel against an extremely unskilled student. Finally, Kacey lay, spent and panting, on the floor, tongue hanging out and eyes rolled back in her head. "Wow!" the students cheered as Garmadon bowed. Opal dragged her friend off the floor, muttering angrily, "Sensei Show-off."

"That is our beginner's demonstration for this evening," Garmadon said, stepping aside. "Now, I believe Senseis Cole, Jay, Zane, Kai, and Lloyd would like to make an announcement."

The five ninja masters stood up and bowed toward the headmaster. "Thank you, Sensei."

Cole was the first to speak. His face was unusually somber, even for the normally serious Master of Earth. "Students," he began, "we have made the decision to cut your normal training short."

The students gave each other puzzled looks. Then, Thalia Brookstone asked, "How come, Dad?"

"Because a dark hour has fallen upon Ninjago," her father replied. "An hour we need all of you to face."

The students were even more confused. Jayjay asked, "Could you explain? You're speaking in riddles."

Jay stepped forward. "Do you remember the story we told you about when our memories were temporarily stolen by a mercenary named Ronin?"

Lloyd Jr. nodded. "Yeah. And he used the Obsidian Glaive to drain your memories to try to build his own army of clone ninja to add to his army of dark samurai in his attempt to take over Ninjago, right?"

"Right." Jay gave Lloyd Jr. an approving look. "Does anyone else remember why he used the Obsidian Glaive in particular?"

Annaliese Julien raised her hand. "When combined with certain chemical elements, obsidian can possess the ability of a black hole, sucking in anything and everything, physical and mental, but under limited control. It can only obey its creator's orders, unless manipulated chemically to obey someone else."

Zane nodded, unable to hide a proud smile for his daughter. "Now, the Obsidian Glaive was created not by Ronin, but by a mysterious martial artist whose name was never recorded. He created the Glaive not to attack or to destroy, but to defend and heal. Though his true name was never revealed, we do know that he created other 'peace weapons', weapons even more powerful than the Glaive."

He produced a dusty, worn leather volume from under his robes. "This journal, titled 'Tales From the Glaive', recorded the makings and powers of his other mysterious weapons. They too, like the Glaive, were hidden from the eyes of those who wanted those powers for evil and nefarious purposes."

"Who uses a word like 'nefarious' anymore?" Opal scoffed.

Monty McLean shot her a glare. Sapphire hissed, "Be quiet."

"I'll be quiet when I want to, pipsqueak," Opal snarled.

Monty balled his hands into fists, but he didn't make a move. Sapphire shrunk back, fearful.

Zane coughed. "As we were saying. . ." he handed the journal to Kai, after blowing the dust off.

Kai flipped through the book until he found the page he wanted. He cleared his throat, and began to read the following excerpt:

"From the journal of the Master of Mystery:

"'I have successfully completed my collection of marvelous, yet deadly in the wrong hands, weapons and machines. It has taken many years and much inspiration and toil to make the creations of my imagining come to life.

"'My most prized treasures, besides the Obsidian Glaive, hang on display in my workshop. They are the Katanas of the Sun and the Moon. These swords, forged from pure sunlight and moonbeams, have the power to bring day to even the darkest and deepest of ocean chasms and underground caverns, and night to the brightest desert.

"'With one sweep of the Katana of the Sun, even the darkest of hearts and secrets can be brought to the surface. With one glide of the Katana of the Moon, those secrets can be covered once more, under darkness so thick, that the only revealer is its sister blade.

"'Though these weapons were made for peace, they are mighty and fearful to behold in combat. Only the strongest and swiftest Masters of Spinjitzu can wield them in battle. And the only one who could withstand both of them at once? I know so little about the destined Golden Ninja, but is there a prophecy? Yes. A prophecy can tell all.'"

* * *

The young ninja-in-training listened in awed silence. Then, Sapphire, recovered from her scare, spoke up quietly. "If this is true, then where is the prophecy? Do we have it?"

Kai closed the journal, and Lloyd, Sapphire's adopted father, stood up. "Yes, Sapphire. We know the prophecy. But ever since the legend of the Curse of the Golden Master was told to us by the Serpentine, we've kept it hidden, for fear you would find out prematurely, or that you wouldn't understand. But now the time has come."

He closed his eyes, and the words he had memorized and kept locked away in the closet of his mind came soaring from his lips.

"When the second generation of ninja be known,

"Lightning or Ice, Fire or Stone;

"The Darkest of the Dark and the Lightest of the Light

"Shall be uncovered from their place in the murk.

"But before you shall unlock what's hidden inside,

"Shadows shall block the way,

"Shadows whose darkness is wide.

"They will trial and torture, kidnap and enslave,

"And many hardships shall befall

"Both father and son, mother and daughter, teacher and student all.

"But the powers hidden there, deep within the soul

"Shall emerge like the firebird from the nest, and the youngest to the oldest shall be put to the test.

"The One Who Wields Two Blades will be known,

"Is he Fire or Ice? Is she Lightning or Stone?"


	5. Preparation

**Hiya guys-AH-CHOO! Oy vey, I am so sick of this cold . . .**

 **Thank you so much for your support on Chapter IV! Your reviews always make me smile! :D Shout-out to JayFan67, MasterOfCupcakes, LovetheLORD, and the Mayor of Ninjago City for your reviews!**

 **JayFan67: OMIGOSH you really think so?! I'm usually horrible at writing poetry and writing prophecies in particular, and that makes me feel a lot more confident about my ability to write that sort of thing! Thank you so much! [And no, I haven't played _Shadow of Ronin_ , but I've watched a Blitzwinger walk-through of it (totally awesome YouTuber, check him out! :D), and I'm hoping to get the app (yep, it's also an app now XD) once I get a smartphone or some sort of device I can play it on]**

 **MasterOfCupcakes (responding to your reviews on II, III, and IV): I'll be sure they've got their minds on their real kids too, don't worry ;) (I mistyped that face ten times XD) Yep, Jay and Nya like Star Wars XD OMIGOSH so true! Love Garmy! Whoops, gettin' carried away there XD And yes, I wrote that poem myself :)**

 **LovetheLORD: Yaaaass, who doesn't love excitement?! :D YAY! You got the pun! Here are some I-cookies: (::)(::)(::)(::)**

 **The Mayor of Ninjago City (responding to your reviews on I and IV): Yep, they've got their hands full, alright ;) And hopefully you're right about Kacey. . . ;)**

 **Welp, think that's about it . . . oh yeah, almost forgot something! You know that section in New Story and Manage Stories where you can choose four main characters to be listed with the summary? I think it's called "character/pairing search." Gah, it's a bit confusing, but now you can choose Bucko and Squiffy, Clancee, Commissioner, Cyren, Dilara (I personally spell that with an _e_ , but Dilara is the correct spelling), Dogshank, Flintlocke, Nadakhan, and Officers Simon and Tommy as options in the search! (How do I know this? I submitted the characters to be added to that character/pairing search thingy ;D)**

 **Hope you enjoy Chapter V of _Darkness: A New Vengeance_!**

* * *

 **Chapter V: Preparation**

There was something like an awed/puzzled/awkward silence following Lloyd's prophecy. The students gave each other curious looks. "What do you think that meant?" Jaya Walker whispered to Lloyd Jr. "I mean, he's your dad."

Lloyd Jr. shrugged. "I have no idea. Sounds cryptic, and sorta creepy."

"You're right on the 'creepy' part," Krissy Brookstone whispered nervously. "I didn't like that one bit."

"Stop being such a 'fraidy cat," Monty McLean hissed.

"Be quiet, Monty, Krissy is just extremely cautious. Right, Kris?"

Krissy gave Jaya a grateful look. "Right, just really cautious."

The other Troublemakers were sniggering loudly. "Do you find something funny about the prophecy?" Jay's voice was challenging. "Because if I found it funny, I'd be laughing my head off. And I'm not."

"What a bunch of baloney," Cadio scoffed. "Did you actually think we'd _believe_ that garbage? Sounds like something out of a baby's fairytale."

The other Elemental Heirs gasped in shock. The Elemental Masters' faces were ashen gray with anger and dismay. Jay's eyes were stormy-electric with fury, Zane's eyes were ice-cold with disgusted disappointment, Kai's eyes were blazing with outrage, and Lloyd's eyes were glowing with anger.

But Cole's eyes as he watched his adopted student snickering and calling the prophecy "garbage" could have melted even the hardest heart. They were dark with anger, disappointment, grief, and shame all in one. Cadio's behavior almost broke Cole's heart, because it showed that all the work he had done to try and train him, raise him, and love him throughout all the hardships had been for nothing. Cadio caught Cole's glance, and just for a second, he felt a little remorseful that he had hurt his teacher and adopted father so much. But that remorse was immediately drowned out by his desire to rebel against all authority.

"Excuse me," Cole said quietly, then he left the room in silence, eyes closed in pure emotion. Jay glanced at his friend, and saw tears streaming down Cole's cheeks. The Master of Earth felt like he had failed Cadio as a teacher. . . and a father.

* * *

Cadio was put into one of the rarely-used detention cells build under the Temple, which, before its dojo-hood, was once Master Chen's island palace. Headmistress Misako was elected to go speak with him in private, as she would have more of a gentle touch than Garmadon or Wu.

Meanwhile, Jay took up where Lloyd had left off. "The time the prophecy told about, 'when the second generation of ninja be known,' has come to pass," he said, trying to choke back his anger at the snickerings from the Troublemakers. Monty, Sapphire, and Kacey refused to join in.

"So, to put our announcement simply," Zane finished, "we're going to skip all the other training and get you twenty-two youths, from almost sixteen to eleven, ready for Spinjitzu."

"Woo hoo!" All the young ninja-in-training were eager to learn Spinjitzu, ever since they had seen their parents demonstrate it.

"You'll also begin learning how to use ninja weapons," Kai added. "Because fists and feet aren't the only weapons a warrior should use."

Lloyd continued, "Your weapons will be chosen based on your paternal lineage. If your father fought best with swords, it's likely you'll fight best with swords as well. In time, you'll learn how to use all ninja and samurai weapons, but we'll start off with your father's weapons. All of you will also learn how to use staffs in combat."

"What about us?" Monty asked.

"Same system, only by your adopted father," Jay replied. "Now, I think we have some unfinished business to take care of. Ready, guys?" The other Masters of Spinjitzu nodded.

"Ninjaaaaa-GO!" The four remaining Elemental Masters (not counting the women or the officials) whirled into their signature Spinjitzu tornadoes. Jay's shone a vivid blue, and sparked with lightning bolts. Zane's glistened silvery white, with cold winds whipping around the Master of Ice. Kai's burned a bright red-orange, and flames danced every way about him. And Lloyd's glowed and sparkled with green fluorescence, signifying his rank as the most powerful Elemental Master, the Master of Power, or the Green Ninja.

The tornadoes whipped along the line of students, who were whirled around with the cyclones of energy. When the four senseis leapt gracefully away, their whirlwinds vanishing with a flicker, the students wore new uniforms and held weapons in their hands.

"Jayjay, Sky-"

"It's Jaya, Dad, how many times do I have to tell you?" Her father gave her "The Look".

"-Sky, Jules, Kacey, Kelvin, you'll learn how to fight with nunchuks." Jay gestured to the weapons in his children's and adopted children's hands. They each gripped a pair of standard black nunchuks in one hand.

"Avery, Annaliese, Annika, and Monty, you'll learn how to use shurikens." The Julien kids held silver throwing stars, or shurikens, one in each hand. Avery did a quick whirl, and the shurikens disappeared. Then he seemed to pull them out of mid-air. Matthias shook his head in amazement. "How in Ninjago did you do that?"

Avery had to smile. "I watch things," he said mysteriously.

"Matthias, Hiro, Phoenix, Gilligan, Saige, Lloyd Jr., Harrison, Opal, and Sapphire, you'll learn how to use swords in combat." The Fiero and Garmadon kids held a razor-sharp katana sword in his or her hand.

"And Thalia, Krissy, and Soren, you'll learn how to fight with scythes." A sharp-pointed scythe was gripped in the hand of each of the Brookstone kids.

The Elemental Heirs wore simple ninja uniforms, a plain colored gi with a darker-colored undershirt, tied at the waist with a darker-colored obi belt, and an Elemental emblem held in place with leather cords. The Brookstones were dressed in black with the Earth emblem, the Walkers in blue with the Lightning symbol, the Juliens in white with the insignia for Ice, the Fieros in red with a Fire badge, and the Garmadons in green with the Green Ninja dragon emblem. The adopted students had plain black and gray gi with no symbols, as they were not kin of the Ninja, and therefore had an unapparent Element.

Cole had returned when the students were receiving their new uniforms and weapons, and was sitting quietly at his place beside Seliel. His wife gave him a worried look, and he returned it with a weak smile. It was his way of saying, "Everything's fine." But Seliel wasn't really convinced.

"Your first lesson in weaponry and Spinjitzu will be tomorrow at sunrise exercise," Lloyd instructed. "Meet with your father or adopted father out at the training courtyard. You are dismissed."

* * *

As the students filed out, the teachers stayed behind to discuss what to do next. "Once they've mastered their weapons and the training course, I think the best thing to do would be to tell them about Vengeance," Lloyd said, his voice resolute. "Like Cole said earlier, this is an hour that all of us, including the kids, need to face."

"I'm a little worried about cutting their normal training short," Skylor Fiero said anxiously. "And then jumping right into Spinjitzu! Wouldn't it be better to build up their endurance now and save Spinjitzu for another time? I mean, look at Phoenix! She's only eleven-"

"And she's one of the fieriest fighters I've ever trained," Nya Walker said. "Don't worry, Skylor! You used to be so confident about these things."

Skylor sighed. "That was before I became a mom. Well, if you put it that way, I guess that sounds like our only option."

"The other option would be to leave the children with Garmadon, Wu, and Misako, and continue the quest on our own," Chamille Garmadon suggested. "But that wouldn't be right, now that we've told them the prophecy and made it so that they'd learn Spinjitzu early."

"My thoughts exactly," Zane agreed. But a worried frown crossed his face. "But I'm wondering about, what do the children call them? The Troublemakers?" The other teachers nodded. "An apt nickname, to be sure. Anyway, I'm wondering about the Troublemakers and their powers. We took them in because we knew they had powers that could be used for good if trained properly and in the right way. But we still don't know _what_ their powers are."

"I have an idea of Sapphire's power," Lloyd said. "After watching her for a long time, sometimes she seems to melt into the shadows. She might be the Heir of Shadow, but it's only a hunch."

"Kacey has a pretty good way with plants and anything naturalistic," Jay admitted. "She might be the Heir of Nature, but I sort of hope not. I had a bad experience with the Master of Nature."

"We have hunches and ideas, yes," Zane said, "but, to be completely honest, no conclusive evidence that that is their Element. You think Sapphire controls Shadow? She may just as well be the Heir of Mind. You think Kacey is the Heir of Nature? She might have a better way with Sound. The possibilities, unfortunately, are endless.

"We can't calculate every possibility," Kai pointed out. "Time is something we don't have. Are we telling them about Vengeance or not?"

Cole knew that the choice was his. As the leader of the Ninja, he had the most responsibility and almost the most say in any decision the team made. He had to use this authority wisely and for the right reasons, otherwise he might lose the trust his friends and family put on him.

 _Why do they always lean on me for support?_ he wondered to himself later that night. _I'm just as human as they are. Well, the Juliens aren't technically human, but that's beside the point. I can't carry everyone's burdens. Sooner or later, I'm going to collapse and drop everyone's faith, trust, and burdens they've put on me._

But now, let's go back to the present. "We'll tell them," Cole said.

* * *

The next morning at sunrise, the students of the Temple of Eight Whirlwinds met their teachers out at the training courtyard set aside in a reclusive part of the dojo. It had never been touched, as the students always trained indoors in the specially built classrooms.

The course operated exactly like the course Cole, Jay, Zane, and Kai had trained on so many years ago. There were the same jerking pillars, the wooden warriors, the whirling balls on chains, the whole lot.

"Where's the course?" Kelvin demanded.

"Watch and learn, kid." Jay flipped back a miniature golden dragon statue on a pedestal, and the course rose up out of the pavement, revealing the shiny metal of the different consoles. "Now, may the young ladies step over there, and the gentlemen over there?" The students obeyed, the Troublemakers reluctantly.

"Now," Cole began, "you've all seen us demonstrate Spinjitzu, and you also know that we were trying to get you prepared to learn Spinjitzu. The process is extremely simple."

"How simple?" one student called.

"All you have to do is complete the training course without falling off before Principal Wu finishes his tea," Jay replied. "It's as easy as that."

Another student snorted. "Easy for you to say, Sensei Jay. You've already completed it!"

"Yes, but I'll admit that I didn't have quite as much energy and enthusiasm as you kids do," Jay admitted. "And this was the first thing I did for training. I wasn't exactly a martial arts master before I was recruited, y'know."

"You had the same energy and enthusiasm, Jay," Zane said, "maybe even more than the kids have. But you didn't have exactly the same skill."

"Hey!" The students giggled. "Don't listen to Zane," Jay said hurriedly, "I had, and still have, plenty of skill."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. Like you had skill when you shocked yourself with own nunchuks."

"Says the ninja who set the training courtyard on fire the same day," Jay retorted.

Lloyd coughed. "Are we gonna let them try it yet or not?"

"You do the honors of showing them how it's done," Cole smiled, "and then we might."

Lloyd went a little pale. "Um, you _do_ remember that I've never actually tried this particular course before, right? I was always just trained by you four."

"And you _still_ mastered Spinjitzu as a little pipsqueak," Jay pointed out. "And then THAT was only one day into training at Grand Sensei Dareth's Mojo Dojo. Woo, that was a mouthful."

"You could have just said Dareth's dojo," Cole said, rolling his eyes. Jay's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as the students laughed.

"I was _not_ a pipsqueak!" Lloyd protested. The other Elemental Masters rolled their eyes. The students giggled. "Okay, okay, maybe I _was_ a pipsqueak," Lloyd admitted. "All right, fine, I'll give the course a shot."

He stepped forward somewhat unsteadily. The Garmadon kids watched their father apprehensively. "Dad didn't do this course?" Harrison whispered.

"Apparently not," his older sister whispered back. "Shh, let's watch."

Lloyd unsheathed his katana, and put a protective wooden slipcover over the blade, then he approached the training course. He took in a deep breath, then jumped onto one of the jerkily bouncing pillars.

He maintained his balance, jumping gracefully from pillar to pillar, then somersaulting off the final pillar and in between two planks moving in a rapid back-and-forth motion. He leapt over the planks with ease, then dodged the whirling swords, battled wooden warriors with his slipcovered katana, jumped over chopping axes, and rolled underneath swinging mace balls. And he did it so fast that he completed it before the old Principal Wu finished his tea.

He finally jumped off the training course, lithely and despite the exertion, not even breaking a sweat. He bowed to the cheering and whooping students. "Told you I could do it," he said to the other Elemental Masters, a triumphant grin on his face.

They just shrugged. "Who said you couldn't?" Zane asked.

* * *

Now, the students had to have their go at the training course. The Brookstone kids had the first try. Soren fell off one of the bouncing pillars, Krissy got knocked over by a wooden warrior, and Thalia got her face slammed by a whirling mace ball. Fortunately she had a strong pain-numbing streak, so she wasn't really injured. But the Brookstones had failed their first shot.

Then the Walker kids had a go. Jules got knocked in the face by an ax, fortunately not wounding, Jaya lost her balance and fell off the bouncing pillars, and Jayjay was slammed into the wall by a ricocheting wooden warrior. He was mildly dazed, but unharmed.

The Juliens, Fieros, and Garmadons didn't have much better luck. The Troublemakers . . . well, they didn't get farther than the bouncing pillars before they were bucked off or lost their balance.

Time after time, the students of the Elemental Masters kept working at the training course. Finally, it was time to call it quits for that day and go on to weaponry. None of the exhausted students had mastered the course. "How─in─Ninjago," Jayjay panted, "are we─supposed─to master─this thing?!"

Matthias wiped his heavily sweating brow. "Don't ask me," he gasped.


	6. Conflict

**Hi guys! TJ back with Chapter VI of _Darkness: A New Vengeance_!**

 **Thank you so much for your support on the previous chapter! Shout-out to The Mayor of Ninjago City, strange and proud of it (me too! :D), MasterofCupcakes, and LovetheLORD for your wonderful reviews on Chapter V!**

 **The Mayor of Ninjago City: I hope that his worries won't completely dominate his focus *solemn face* And you shall see if your theory is correct in due time ;)**

 **strange and proud of it (responding to your reviews on Chapters I and III): You're darn right he's got a temper XD Thank you so much!**

 **MasterofCupcakes: It'll definitely help with *ahem* some of the students' respect issues :D And I'm so glad that they _did_ name him Jayjay and not Jar Jar XD  
**

 **LovetheLORD: Keep up the encouragement, LtL! :D Hopefully they can hear you XD**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! It's pretty exciting! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter VI: Conflict**

The Elemental Masters conversed while the students took their two-hour lunch and rec break. Reminiscing, to be more accurate. "You remember the time the Serpentine were bad and Skales hypnotized Cole?" Jay asked.

Cole chuckled. "How could I not forget?" He made a horrific zombie face and pretended to be hypnotized. "Destroy the ninja!"

Jay laughed. "That sounded more like the Overlord. Check this out." After dimming the lights with his electricity, he shone a flashlight under his face and croaked in a marvelously evil imitation of the Overlord, "I am the Golden Master! I will destroy Ninjago by stomping on it in my golden claw armor! Mwahahahaha!" Then he pretended to slip and fall. "Nooooo! I slipped on a banana peel! I'm doomed! Aaaaaah!"

While the other ninja were laughing hysterically, Jay turned off the flashlight and restored the lights. "I probably would have got a sore throat if I kept doing that."

"Do you remember the look on Skales's face when we didn't know the Serpentine had shed their skins and suspected him of stealing the hard-drive with the Overlord virus on it?" Kai laughed. "And when we searched his bag and all he had were groceries and a newspaper?" He made snake fangs with his fingers. "Ssso what? I'm a sssucker for the crossssword," he hissed in a hilarious imitation of the Hypnobrai general.

"Who knew Serpentine liked word puzzles?" Lloyd chuckled.

"Remember the time we were building that dock in the city of Stiix and I accidentally swallowed a fly that messed up my auditory system?" Zane asked, unable to stop laughing.

"You could only speak backwards for days!" Jay choked. "And when I tried to fix your system, you sounded like you were yelling everything! And THEN I fixed it so then you talked like a pirate!"

He was rolling over on the floor with laughter, Cole's eyes were streaming from laughing so hard, Kai was beginning to cough from laughing so much, Lloyd was clutching his sides and hooting with laughter, and Zane had to lean against a chair to keep from joining Jay on the floor.

The Elemental Masters' laughter reached the ears of both their spouses and their students. "What do you think they're doing in there?" Seliel Brookstone wondered aloud.

Pixal Julien smiled. "Most likely sharing a laugh over old times and adventures," she said.

* * *

The laughter was also infectious. "Maybe they were talking about the time my mom and dad were on their first date, and Dad almost became a snake," Jayjay guessed, unable to suppress a smile, then helpless giggling at the idea of his dad being a snake.

"Or maybe the time when my dad pranked them as part of a lesson, and Sensei Zane had to fight in pink robes," Saige giggled.

Avery cracked a smile. "Or perhaps the time when Lord Garmadon used the Mega-Weapon to revive the Grundle and turned our fathers back into kids."

This sent the Elemental Heirs into peals of laughter. "Can you imagine the expressions on their faces when Sensei Jay screamed, 'We SHRUUUUUUNK!'?!" Lloyd Jr. squeaked, doubled over with laughter.

"Better yet, the time when Sensei Jay fixed Sensei Zane's vocal system so then he sounded like a pirate?" Hiro laughed.

That started some of the other kids talking in pirate-ese. "Avast, me hearties! Hoist the main stay and tighten up that boom lift!"

"Blimey, thar be a big shark at ten o'clock starboard!"

"Ye landlubber, thar be no clock onboard ship!" Then they collapsed onto the floor in a fit of side-splitting laughter.

"How in Ninjago did my dad do that?!" Jules Walker choked, tears rolling down her cheeks as she rolled around on the floor.

The Elemental Heirs were talking and laughing over the stories their parents had told them of adventures they had when they had defended Ninjago from the hands of Lord Garmadon, the Serpentine, the Overlord, Master Chen, and Morro.

" _ **HA!**_ "

* * *

The room was completely silenced. All fifteen of the Elemental Heirs turned to face Cadio and his gang of Troublemakers. Cadio had a wicked sneer on his face. Gilligan was sniggering, and Kelvin and Opal were smirking. Three of the Troublemakers seemed more downcast. Kacey, Monty, and Sapphire stood a short distance apart from the other Troublemakers, eyes firmly fixed on the hardwood floor.

"You are _so-o-o-o-o_ naive," Cadio sneered. "You _actually_ believe all of that junk?"

Jayjay's fists clenched. "For your information, _Dirt-clod,_ " he spat, "we're not naive, and our parents' stories aren't junk, as you think."

"Ha!" Cadio scoffed. "Who's ever heard of a _Mega-Weapon_? And I mean, come on, the Golden Weapons were just fairytale legends used to inspire idiots like your poor daddies to go searching for them on a hapless quest!"

"Excuse me?" Thalia had her arms akimbo. "Our 'poor daddies' found those Golden Weapons, which Lord Garmadon melded into the Mega-Weapon, which was then melted down into the Golden Armor, which is now protected by one of the most complicated security systems in Ninjago! We have living proof, in the Ultra Dragon, and the word of Headmaster Garmadon-"

"Garmadon's an old fool," Cadio sneered.

"No, he's _not_."

* * *

The student who spoke up came as a surprise to everyone. It was Kacey Delancey, one of Jay's adopted students. She stared defiantly at Cadio. "Headmaster Garmadon isn't an old fool with a weak skill with martial arts, Cadio," she said, an unspoken challenge in her words. "He's the wisest Master of Spinjitzu I've ever met."

"Wow," Harrison Garmadon whispered to Soren Brookstone, "will wonders never cease?"

"Last night at evening exercises," Kacey continued, "Headmaster Garmadon showed me, in fact, used me to demonstrate that there's more to fighting than using your fists and weapons. You _can_ fight without fighting. And I'm prepared to do that. I've treated my adopted parents and teacher in a way they don't deserve. Now I'll give them the respect they _do_ deserve." She crossed her arms. "I said when I was first taken in that I was ashamed to be called a Walker. I take it back, along with everything else rude, mean, or deceptive that I've said about the ninja. I'm proud to be a Walker, and I'll stand behind my adopted family from now on."

She approached Jayjay timidly. "To say it up-front," she said, "I'm really sorry for all the disrespectful things I've said to you and your family. I'm going to try to be a better student, daughter, and sister than I have been. I hope eventually you'll forgive me-"

"I forgive you now, Kacey," Jayjay said, smiling.

"Me too!" Jaya added.

"And me three!" Jules chimed in.

Kacey's lips curled into a shy smile. Then, she stood with her adopted brother and sisters, arms folded across her chest. Behind her hand, she whispered to Jayjay, "Please ask your dad if I can talk to him later?"

"Sure thing," he whispered back.

* * *

Cadio rolled his eyes, trying to hide the discomfort Kacey had given him. "Just because one of us fell for your dads' ridiculous stories doesn't mean the rest of us will."

Monty and Sapphire were still playing pokerface, not saying a word. _They're intimidated by Cadio_ , Saige thought. _And I don't blame them_.

Hiro scowled at Cadio. "It sounds like you're asking for a fight, Marcus," he challenged.

"Oh, no," Cadio's voice suddenly became silky-smooth, "I'm not asking for a fight. I'm just asking you to surrender."

"Surrender to _you_?" Lloyd Jr. spat. "Why in Ninjago would we want to do that?"

Annaliese Julien added sarcastically, "And how would you want us to surrender?"

"On our knees begging for mercy, or waving the white flag?" Jaya hissed, her normally pretty face contorted into a fierce scowl second only to her brother's. "Because neither option sounds quite so appealing."

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know, Miss Pretty-Two-Shoes," Opal sneered.

"Don't you dare call my sister 'Pretty-Two-Shoes'!" Jayjay snarled.

Cadio spread his hands as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I only want you to admit."

"Admit what?" Saige snapped. "Stop beating around the bush, Marcus."

"Admit that your parents aren't really ninja, and that all the adventures they've told you were really clever stories," Cadio said casually.

"We'll never say that!" Matthias hissed.

"For one reason," Avery added, "there's nothing _to_ admit." His ice-cold glare made Cadio a little nervous. "Why do you have the notion there's something to admit? Do you not trust our parents as your own teachers and parents?" Avery answered his own question. "No, you don't, do you? Otherwise you wouldn't have broken Sensei Cole's heart last night with your 'garbage' talk."

"I don't trust anyone," Cadio spat, all traces of negotiation vanishing, "or their pitiful little stories." His hands curled into fists. "Since you won't readily admit, I'll get the confession out of you myself!"

Without warning, he lunged, tackling Jayjay. Taken by surprise, Jayjay couldn't retaliate. He was pinned to the floor, Cadio's hand wrapping tightly around his neck. "Admit it!" he hissed. "Tell me all your dad tells you are lies! Confess!"

"Never!" Jayjay choked. "My─dad─didn't─lie!" He was gasping for air, but Cadio's fists were clenching more and more tightly around his neck. His face was turning blue from lack of oxygen and his eyes rolled back in his head. Black spots danced in front of Jayjay's eyes.

"Let go of him!" Saige lunged and broke Cadio's grip on Jayjay's neck. Cadio rolled off, giving Jayjay the chance to scramble away. "Get the parents!" Saige yelled as she ducked one of Cadio's blows.

"I'm on it!" Jayjay coughed. He ducked and dodged as the students went at each other's throats in an all out cat-fight.

Phoenix Fiero had Kelvin pinned down for a moment, but then was bucked off and sent sprawling to the floor. Hiro tackled Kelvin and the two were arm-wrestling in seconds.

Annaliese and Annika Julien were cornered by Gilligan, who underestimated Annaliese's quick mind and Annika's quick fists.

Thalia, Avery, Matthias, and Saige surrounded Cadio, and they were more of a match than Cadio thought. Matthias dodged a punch from Cadio, then Thalia aimed a kick at the Troublemaker, who ducked only to have his face slammed in a blow from Saige. Then, he was pinned down by a swift kick from Avery.

* * *

Jayjay ran down the hall as fast as he could toward the teachers' lounge. He knocked on the door in an S.O.S., the universal emergency code taught to all students, then added his signature, two short blasts of lightning.

* * *

Jay jumped up from his seat. "That's Jayjay!" He dashed to answer the door. His son was leaning against the door, gasping for breath. His neck was a peculiar shade of pink, his eye had been blacked from a mistimed dodge, and his face was a light shade of sky-blue.

Jay immediately knew something was wrong. "What happened to you?" he exclaimed.

Jayjay gasped, "Cadio─called stories─lies─tried─to strangle─confession─out of me." He took in another gulp of air. "Brawl─going on─in dining hall!"

"Why did he want a confession out of you?" Nya demanded, helping her son to his feet and giving him a glass of water, neatly conjured up from under her robes. He gulped down the water, and his face returned to its normal color.

After downing the glass of water, Jayjay coughed, "He wanted us to admit that you weren't ninja, and that all your adventures were clever stories. He even called the Golden Weapons 'fairytale legends used to inspire idiots like your poor daddies to go searching for them on a hapless quest'!"

"That was a little _too_ descriptive," Cole muttered, deeply embarrassed.

Jayjay paused for breath. "Oh, and Dad, Kacey wants to talk to you."

Jay was confused, but he nodded. "All right. But we need to break up the fight before it gets nasty."

"I think it already has," Jayjay muttered.

"We're right behind you, Jay!" The Elemental Masters ran down the corridor toward the dining hall.

* * *

When the Elemental Masters reached the dining hall, it was in utter chaos. Booths were torn up, food was spilled on the floor and tables and even smashed against the walls, spatters of blood dotted the floor, and a good number of teeth were scattered about. The students were in a state of total oblivion, ignoring everything else around them except for their combatants. The Elemental Masters yelled and shouted for them to stop, but they were completely drowned out by the taunts, battle cries, and threats of the fighting students.

Finally, frustrated, Jay turned to Zane. "You still have that portable voice amplifier, right?"

Zane nodded. He opened a panel in his arm, and handed Jay a headset. After securing it around his ear and next to his mouth, Jay yelled as loudly as he could. " _ **ENOUGH!**_ "

His voice was so loud that it could be heard over the shouts of the students. They stopped fighting, fists caught mid-punch, legs frozen in kicking stances. They were a sight to see, with blacked eyes, missing teeth, bruised cheeks, and food and even blood smeared all over themselves. One student even had a lunch tray in his hands and using it as a shield.

When they saw their teachers, arms folded across their chests and faces scowling, the students, both Elemental Heirs and Troublemakers, dropped their battle stances. They hung their heads, ashamed.

"What happened?" Lloyd finally asked, voice weighted down with disappointment.

Saige stepped forward, eyes downcast. "We heard you laughing from down the hall, and it reminded us of the memories you told us about your adventures. We were laughing over some of the stories when Cadio-" she paused to choose the right words, "-challenged the stories' validity."

Cadio snorted. "Is that what you call it? More like 'wanted the truth'. I still do _not_ believe you believe that junk."

Jayjay felt like slugging Cadio properly, right in his big mouth. But he held himself back, knowing the reaction he'd get from his father if he didn't control his anger.

Lloyd gave Cadio such an angry look that the tough bully shrunk back. Then, the look melted back into one of deep disappointment. "You don't trust our word?" he asked quietly.

"N-n-no," Cadio stammered. Then he regained himself. "No, I don't. Why should I? Not after what the other people in my past have done to me." His voice was bitter with resentment.

Cole stepped closer to Cadio, his hand extended in a fatherly gesture. "You can trust us," he said gently. "We won't hurt you. I promise."

Cadio jerked away from Cole's hand. "How do I know you won't break your promise?" he hissed. "How do I know you haven't lied to me? How do I know you aren't like everyone else, trying to take advantage of me because I'm young?" He turned away. "I don't trust you. I don't trust anyone. Especially not _you_. You're just like the rest." With that, he turned and stalked out of the dining hall.


	7. Reconciled (Part the First)

**Hey guys! :D Unfortunately, time's a little short for me, like this chapter, so I'll cut to the chase:**

 **Thank you so much for your reviews on the previous chapter! :D It means more to me to see your reviews than you may think!**

 **MNC: Hurray for Kacey! :D And yep, there will be some dental appointments in the future XD**

 **JF: You're right about that: Cadio, get with the program! XD And I'm sorry to hear about your dad: I'm praying he'll recover soon!**

 **strange and proud of it: Yep, sometimes I hate Cadio so much I wanna slug my computer XD**

 **MoC: You'll find out exactly what happened, and will happen to him in due time ;) Maybe she feels more comfortable with father figures than maternal ones? *confused face, then XD***

 **LovetheLORD: I know exactly what you mean, and I'm the one writing the story! :D I really hope Cadio's behavior will change in the future.**

 **Welp, I was gonna say something else, but I gotta go. Hope you enjoy! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter VII: Reconciled (Part The First)**

After the dining hall fiasco, the Elemental Heirs and the Troublemakers' activities and interactions were strictly moderated and guarded, and any sign of a fight or argument between a Troublemaker and an Elemental Heir would result in immediate separation. Tension was mounting up between the two groups, that was certain. The Elemental Masters watched their adopted children with apprehension. If they could start a war between the students, who knew what else they could come up with?

The students trained every day, working harder and harder at the training course and learning how to use their weapons. The oldest students had mastered their weapons within two weeks.

Thalia could break thirty boards in half with one blow of her scythe. Jayjay could knock a grown man unconscious with one whirl of his nunchuks. Avery could throw his shurikens in perfect formation. And Matthias and Saige could wield twin katanas with fiery energy.

The other students got the hang of their weapons too, and even the Troublemakers could wield their weapons with skill.

The first to master the training course was Lloyd Jr. He leapt on and off bouncing pillars, jumped over chopping axes, dodged whirling swords, and knocked wooden warriors down with one whack of his sword. And he did it all before Principal Wu finished his tea.

Hiro slapped him a high-five as he jumped off the course. "Wicked moves, dude!" he grinned.

Lloyd Jr. grinned back. "You're not so bad yourself," he replied.

Hiro was the second to master the course, followed by Thalia, then Jules. Soon, all the students, even the Troublemakers, were practically flying across the course, quick as cats on a hot tin roof.

The Elemental Masters smiled as the last student, Saige Garmadon, leapt off the course just as Principal Wu took his last sip of tea. "Excellent work, kids!" Lloyd smiled.

Headmaster Garmadon, with his wife, Headmistress Misako, stood in the archway to the training yard. They had been watching the students working at the training course, and now the effort had paid off.

"Your training is completed," Cole said quietly.

The students gave the Elemental Masters quizzical looks. "I thought you said you were gonna teach us Spinjitzu!" Hiro complained.

"We already have," Lloyd replied. "You have the rest of the day off, but I recommend that you keep practicing with your weapons. Join with your parents at six thirty for dinner in the dining hall."

The students bowed. "Yes, Sensei Lloyd."

* * *

Most of the students took Lloyd's advice and continued training. As Jayjay whirled his nunchuks and attacked a punching bag, he asked, "What do you─ _take that!_ ─think that─ _hiya!_ ─Sensei Lloyd meant─ _you don't stand a chance!_ ─when he said─ _ **whoa!**_ " The punching bag hit Jayjay in the face and sent him sprawling backwards. "-when he said we already learned Spinjitzu?"

Saige shrugged as she threw her twin katanas into a wooden post. "A lot of the stuff my dad says is starting to become more cryptic," she said, tugging her swords free from the pole. "Take the prophecy from last month, that's a good example. I couldn't make head or tails out of it."

"It's pretty simple to me," Avery said, catching his shurikens as they boomeranged into his hands.

"If it was so simple, then why is it a prophecy?" Thalia asked, slamming her scythe into a pile of boards.

Avery shrugged. "Either it's my analytical Nindroid mind, or the confusing way he said it, don't ask me."

Jayjay grinned. "I bet my dad takes it back when he said Nindroids don't have a sense of humor."

Avery smiled. "That's partly because I'm the only kid in my family who keeps his humor switch on at all times. Hey, you never know when you have the opportunity to make a joke. Or understand one, for that matter."

"Well said, Ave," Matthias said, thrusting his sword into a training dummy, "well said."

* * *

After the evening meal, in the Walker family room, Jay took Kacey aside. "Jayjay said you wanted to talk to me?" he asked.

Kacey nodded. "I just wanted to say-" she hesitated, then continued "-that I'm sorry I haven't treated you or your wife with the respect due to warriors, teachers, and-" She looked Jay straight in the eye, bright emerald green eyes glistening with tears. "-and parents. I'm going to try to be a more respectful student and . . . adopted daughter from now on. Will you forgive me?"

Jay smiled at his adopted daughter, and put a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "I forgive you, Kacey," he said. "And, never forget-" he looked her straight in the eyes with fatherly affection "-that Nya and I will always love you and care for you as if you were our own daughter."

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Kacey threw her arms around Jay's neck. "I will always love you, Daddy!" she sobbed, burying her face in her adopted father's arms.

Jay's eyes were full of silent tears as he held his adopted daughter tenderly in his arms. "I will always love you, sweetheart," he murmured.

* * *

Nya walked by the door to the Walker family room, which was left slightly ajar. She heard sobbing from the room. Being as quiet as she could, she peeked in. Kacey had her arms around Jay's neck, and was crying fit to burst. "I will always love you, Daddy!" she cried.

Nya caught Jay's expression. His bold blue eyes were spilling over with tears. "I will always love you, sweetheart," he murmured, giving his adopted daughter a kiss on the cheek.

Nya pulled herself away. Her feelings were jumbled from the scene she had witnessed in the family room. Part of her felt happy that Jay was comforting Kacey, and that Kacey had apparently mended her ways. But the other part of her felt. . . jealous? Jealous of her husband's affection for their adopted daughter? He loved Kacey as a daughter, not in the way a husband and a wife love each other.

But Jay hadn't told her he loved her, really told her, in a long time. Nya wished he would display his love for her, if he had any, more prominently. "What am I thinking?" she scolded herself as she continued walking down the hall. "Jay loves me; that's why he got so upset when he found out about the Perfect Match." But that was over sixteen years ago. Part of her still had doubts. . .


	8. Vengeance

**Greetings from TJ! :D**

 **I've got some pretty big news for you guys! (Well, big for me XD) I finally started a YouTube account! Yay! :D :D :D My username is Jenny Walker (which is more popular than I realize XD) but my profile picture should definitely tell you which one I am! XD XD I've got a playlist already up (which is basically a list of Ninjago Skillet Tributes XD) but I'm hoping to get up some decent videos at some point :D**

 **Okay: review responses! :D Wow, a lot of people are concerned about Jay and Nya XD**

 **strange and proud of it: Don't worry, Nya isn't going to do anything to Kacey; she's just feeling a little strange right now *unsure what sort of face I should use for this situation***

 **MNC: Maybe he's got a lot on his mind? Or maybe he's said it to her before but she's looking for something deeper? Something more intimate?**

 **MoC: Woo hoo! I should really give the students some cookies XD Aw, I'm glad you enjoyed that "father/adopted daughter" scene! And I'll make sure Jay will pay attention to Nya *gives Jay a pointed look***

 **LovetheLORD: I'll make sure to tell him that *another pointed look shot in the Master of Lightning's direction* And students! Get on your game and show us you've listened to your teachers! XD**

 **Welp, gotta go! (Not totally sure what I think of this chapter *confused face, then shrugs* It's okay, I guess) Hope you enjoy the chappie! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter VIII: Vengeance**

At 8:00 P.M., all the students met in the main complex for evening exercises. After the lesson in Art of the Silent Fist, Headmaster Garmadon turned the meeting over to the Elemental Masters. Their wives were allowed to go to bed early, as they had to help with weaponry lessons, and a few were feeling overwhelmed. "How you girls can get overwhelmed with dealing with twenty-two teens and tweens is beyond me," Kai said, shaking his head.

"Hey, we're tough, but in some spots we're delicate," Skylor said, giving her husband a kiss on the cheek before heading up to bed.

Now, the ninja were exchanging nervous glances. Some of the more attentive students noticed. "Is there something wrong?" Jayjay whispered to Avery, voice tinged with concern.

Avery's brow furrowed, his glasses nearly slipping off his face. "I believe so," he whispered back, "but I cannot see what might be troubling them."

Finally, Cole cleared his throat. "Kids," he said, trying to keep his voice level and at ease, "there's something you need to know."

He hesitated. Jay elbowed him in the ribs. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

"There's nothing wrong," Cole whispered back.

Jay rolled his eyes. "Cole Everest Brookstone, I've lived with you for over sixteen years, and you don't think I can read your emotions by now? Let me handle it." Cole winced at Jay's use of his middle name, but he was secretly relieved that Jay could see how nervous he was.

Jay stood up. He racked his brain, trying to find the right way to say what he had to say. He couldn't find any way that wasn't too flippant. Nervous and rather panicked, he collapsed into a fit of hysterical giggling. Zane gave Jay a strange look. "What's the matter with you?" he hissed.

"I couldn't find a way serious enough," Jay managed to splutter. "You do it, Zane, I can't."

Zane sighed. "I'll try." He closed his eyes and attempted to concentrate.

* * *

By this time, the students knew something was up. Cole's eyes were darting around the room in an un-Cole-like way, Jay was in a fit of hysterical laughing, Zane looked like he was trying hard not to freak out, and Kai had his eyes firmly fixed on the floor. The only one who seemed perfectly calm was Lloyd, with his eyes closed in thought.

"I can't," Zane mumbled.

He glanced over at Kai. Kai shook his head no. "If you can't do it," he muttered, "what makes you think I can? Ask Lloyd."

Zane gave Lloyd a pleading look. Lloyd sighed, and then nodded. He stood up, and exhaled a deep breath. "What we're trying to say, but aren't doing it very well-" he shot his fellow Elemental Masters a look "-is that there's a darker reason that we've skipped your normal training." He paused. Then he asked, "Do you remember our discussion about Ronin we had a month or two ago?"

The students nodded.

"There's something we didn't tell you about Ronin." He hesitated again. Then he unleashed the bomb. "He had a wife. Her name was Vengeance, and she wasn't exactly happy with us when we defeated her husband. She is finally living up to her name. Vengeance is lurking on this island."

* * *

There was a stunned silence following Lloyd's words. Even the oldest students were unable to react. The only thing they could do was stare at the Elemental Masters. Then, a shocked voice came up from the students. "WHA-A-A-A-AT?!"

Lloyd nodded grimly. "That's why we were training you so hard. It may have seemed like we were pushing you, but that's why. After Ronin was defeated, Vengeance sought refuge in Master Chen's palace. But we managed to chase her out and send her to Kryptarian Prison. Recently, we received word that Vengeance escaped, and the Dark Matter detectors we installed alerted us to her presence on this island. Vengeance is now slinking across this island, searching for the very things we hope to find ourselves: the Katanas of the Sun and the Moon."

"The Master of Mystery," Cole continued, courage coming back to him, "the martial artist who forged the Celestial Katanas, lived in a cave on this island, long before Master Chen was exiled here. That's how Ronin managed to find him. He stole the Obsidian Glaive from the Master of Mystery, and forced him to give up 'Tales From the Glaive', which we took back from him when we defeated him."

"But then," Jay picked up, "we found that the Master of Mystery had mysteriously vanished from the island, and never seen again, so we kept the book for safekeeping. But Vengeance already knew about the Celestial Katanas. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't know where they're hidden. We do."

"We do?" Kai whispered.

"I've been analyzing the prophecy, burn-brain," Jay whispered back. "You don't actually think I'd leave something like _that_ hanging in mid-air, do you?"

"Actually," Zane corrected him, "if I remember correctly, it was _I_ who fully analyzed it. You've just used the data I collected to formulate a strategy."

"What _ever_. Anyway," Jay continued, "I've been able to trace the only route to the hiding place of the Celestial Katanas. But there's a catch."

"What catch?" a student called out.

"Besides being fraught with known dangers and hidden ones too-" Zane picked up.

"Oh, goody," Krissy Brookstone mumbled.

"-is that to find the Celestial Katanas," Zane continued, "we have to have other weapons as well: weapons that can only be found at certain times by certain people. The Obsidian Glaive, along with the other Obsidian weapons, were the only ever-physically-existing weapons created by the Master of Mystery. The other weapons he created we know only from 'Tales From the Glaive', as they vanished as soon as they were created. They can be only found by their true masters, and when, like I said, when the time is right."

"Such weapons include the Star Aeroblades, and the Elemental Xtremes," Kai continued. "The Master of Mystery created them created these weapons to obey a certain master, and the only thing we know is that the weapons bestow the most powerful Elemental powers in the entire universe to whomever their masters are."

"We don't know who the masters are," Lloyd continued, "but we know that the Celestial Katanas can only be wielded at the same time by the most powerful Spinjitzu master. Which," he smiled weakly, "used to be me."

"Even though you're not the Golden Ninja now," Cole pointed out, "you're still one of the most powerful out of the thirteen of us." He was careful to include the female Elemental Masters and the school officials.

"Yeah, but all the same, I can't use both swords at once," Lloyd said. "but, if we're going to protect the Celestial Katanas from Vengeance, we're going to have to beat her to them."

The students looked confused. "Um," Saige coughed, "how are we gonna do that?"

Cole replied, "We're going to go find the Celestial Katanas ourselves. All of us. Including you."

* * *

There was a moment's silence. " _ **THAT'S**_ why you taught us Spinjitzu early?!" all the students exclaimed. Then, they exchanged adventure-hungry grins. " **AWESOME!** "

"This is probably going to be a lot harder than I think," Astrid murmured.

Soren gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm going on this crazy quest too, aren't I?"

Astrid smiled weakly. "Yep. We all are."

"Count me out!"

Soren groaned. "Here we go again. Sensei Jay should put a muzzle on Cadio, not just Kelvin."

Cadio had his hands on his hips, and a smirk on his face. "If you think I'm dumb enough to risk my life on some stupid quest for weapons that don't even exist," he sneered, "you must be more stupid than you look, _Sensei_ Cole."

Thalia jumped to her feet, suddenly angry. "Will you _SHUT UP_?!" she shouted. "No one insults my dad and gets away with it! And _**you've**_ gotten away with it for too long, Cadio Marcus!"

"What're you gonna do about it, Stone-girl?" Cadio scoffed.

Thalia clenched her fists, but she didn't retaliate. Her father's watchful eye restrained her from attacking.

"Just as I thought," Cadio smirked. "You're just a cowardly little girl with a dimwitted rockhead of a dad."

That was the final straw, both for Thalia and for Cole. Thalia leapt forward, and slapped Cadio across the face. "I'm so sick of your ungratefulness!" she yelled in his face. "After all my dad did for you, you're still the brattiest fifteen-year-old in Ninjago!"

Her words hit so close to home, they might as well have sat on Cadio. Cole, his anger, disappointment, and shame mounting up, concentrated his Elemental power on Cadio. He could not stand hearing his student so brazenly insult him and his daughter in this way, and even though he had tolerated it for nearly five years, he couldn't any longer. Thalia jumped out of the way just in time. A blast of powerful Earth energy slammed right into Cadio, knocking him to the floor. Before the startled Cadio could move, he was encased almost entirely in rock, pulled from the ground around him by Cole's Earth strength.

"Ha! Y'see, gang, the Master of Earth reveals himself to be a coward!" Kelvin Delancey crowed triumphantly. "Picking on poor, innocent teenagers with his big bad Earth power!"

Jay clenched his fists and set his jaw. He gave Jayjay a quick, almost unnoticeable, nod. Jayjay understood. Time for Operation: Duct Tape. The Master of Lightning squeezed his eyes shut, and kept his fists clenched. He was feigning building up electricity that could come shooting out of his clasped hands when he willed.

Kelvin pretended to look horrified. "Why, Sensei Jay! Not you too! Are you stooping so low as to attack _me?!_ "

"You're nothing better than a tabloid journalist," Jayjay muttered under his breath, creeping up from behind Kelvin. "If you can't dig up any dirt, you make up some of your own."

While Kelvin was jeering at Jay, the fifteen-year-old sneaking up from behind him made his move. With a lightning-fast sweep of both hands, he clamped Kelvin's hands behind his back with lightning cuffs, and slapped a square of duct tape over his mouth. "Where in Ninjago did you get the duct tape?" Avery exclaimed.

"I got connections," Jayjay said mysteriously, producing a roll of duct tape out from under his robes. Kelvin attempted to break the lightning cuffs, but a shock of electricity from the cuffs broke any other attempts.

Kai sighed, then sat back down. _Pa-a-a-a-a-arp._ The Master of Fire's cheeks burned bright red with embarrassment. Zane shot Cole and Jay a disgusted look, which put a stop to their snickering. Lloyd gave Kai a confused look, then he whispered, "Stand back up."

Kai stood, then checked his seat. His face furrowed into an angry scowl. He picked something flat and pink off the floor where he had been sitting by the tips of his fingers. "All right," he tried to keep his voice level, "who planted the Whoopie cushion?"

Just then, a loud clown horn blasted right into Jay's ear. He let out a yell of surprise, jumping nearly four feet in the air. " **WHAT IN NINJAGO'S NAME WAS THAT?** "

 _Splat._ Something wet and chunky ran down Cole's face. He discovered a silver pie tin on his head, still gooey with "-a mud pie?" He picked a green piece of slimy moss dangling in front of his eye by the tips of his fingers. "What in-"

" **AAAAAHH!"** Lloyd leapt away from his seat, wrapping himself around a pillar. A big, black, eight-legged _thing_ skittered up the pillar. Lloyd scooted higher and higher as the thing followed him at a rapid pace " **SPIDER!** " Lloyd shrieked.

"Who knew the Green Ninja was arachnophobic," Avery muttered, but he scooted gingerly away from the pillar that Lloyd was clinging to.

Saige went bright pink. "Uh, yeah, Dad freaks out whenever there's a spider nearby."

"My dad too," Matthias added.

"So does mine," Jayjay agreed.

"And mine too," Thalia added.

"And my dad too," Avery agreed.

Lloyd was at the top of the pillar, right up against the ceiling. The spider started to crawl up the Green Ninja's leg. He frantically tried to shake it off, but it held firmly to Lloyd's leg.

Finally, with one good kick, the spider flew away from Lloyd. Unfortunately, it landed on Jay's head. It crawled down from Jay's hair, and planted its eight beady red eyes on Jay's in a stare. Jay let out a terrified scream. " **GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!** "

Zane gingerly pulled the spider off his friend's face and studied it, one leg precariously held by the tips of his fingers. The other students were getting jumpy. Both Masters and Heirs had one universal fear: spiders. Krissy Brookstone had taken a cue from Lloyd and clung to one of the pillars, petrified. Some of the other students huddled together in groups of three or four, whispering nervously.

After Zane gave the spider a timid once-over, he scowled. Then, he opened up the panel in his arm, and gave the spider an electric shock. It fizzed and crackled for a few seconds, then dropped from Zane's hand to the floor with a metallic _crunch_. " _Mechanical_ ," Zane scoffed, crushing the spider with a good hard stomp. "Remote-controlled, no doubt."

Kai groaned. "Only one student I know has pranks like these," he muttered. Then, in a loud voice, he called, "Gilligan Mueller! I know you're hiding! Get right here this minute or suffer the consequences!"

"Thuffer th' conthequenthes," a giggly voice scoffed. It drifted down from the ceiling.

"Nice try, Daffy Duck, but now I know where you're hiding," Kai said. He gave Matthias a quick nod.

Quick as a forest fire in the dry season, Matthias shinnied up a pillar and landed athletically on a ceiling beam. "Be careful!" he heard Jayjay call.

"Don't worry about me!" he called back. Matthias could see Gilligan perched on another ceiling beam, preparing to drop another mud pie, this time onto Zane's head. Just as Gilligan dropped the pie, Matthias yelled, " **SENSEI ZANE! WATCH OUT!** "

Zane jumped out of the way just in time as the pie landed with a _SQUELCH,_ right where Zane had been standing placidly only seconds before. "Aw, party pooper," Gilligan griped.

He inched backwards along the ceiling beam, reaching for a water pistol tucked in his obi belt. "You try any funny business and Dad's gonna give you probation until you're too old to climb up here," Matthias warned, eyes beginning to glow bright red. This had been coaxed out by all the rigorous training he had done. When a Fiero kid's eyes glowed red, it meant they could spontaneously catch fire at any moment.

Gilligan's hand dropped. He had seen Matthias's hands catch fire before, and he wasn't stupid enough to mess with his fireballs. "Fine, you win," he grumped. "I'll come down." He skittered down the nearest pillar and back to his corner, mumbling scattered apologies to the Elemental Masters.

* * *

Lloyd coughed. "Now, if there are no further interruptions, we'll brief you on the mission's details tomorrow morning at sunrise exercise. Then we have to prepare for the search for the Celestial Katanas. Our hope is that you'll unlock your full Elemental powers, not just the minor sparks that have inched out during your training. Our main objective is to get to the Celestial Katanas before Vengeance does. Otherwise, who knows what she'll do with them?" Leaving them on that note, he finished, "You are dismissed."

The students bowed, then filed out the door in little clumpings, chattering excitedly about the mission ahead of them. Just as the other Troublemakers prepared to make their exit, Headmaster Garmadon stopped them. "Stay a minute."

The Troublemakers reluctantly returned to their seats, facing the Elemental Masters. Cole managed to pull off looking serious, even with mud on his face and a silver pie tin on his head. "This mission is vital to the survival of Ninjago," he said, "and your-" he paused to choose the right word "-shenanigans will not be helpful. I advise that you behave yourselves and obey the orders we give to you on this enterprise or we won't hesitate to send you back here in care of the school officials. Is that understood?"

The Troublemakers nodded rapidly, eager to leave. "Understood, Sensei Cole," Sapphire said quietly. The other Troublemakers threw her pitying looks, but a glare from Monty halted their sneers.


	9. In the Middle of the Night

**Hey guys! TJ here! Man oh man oh man am I glad to be updating again! Well, for da time being . . . XD I wanted to update something I had already published before I put up anything new, and since I haven't finished Chapter III of _Runaways and Royalty_ , or Chapter 4 of _Surprised by Jay_ , or gotten any further with my other stories, I decided to break my promise to not update this until I get Chapter XI of this story done, so I could talk to you guys outside of my crazy big author's note!**

 **Thank you so much for your reviews on Chapter VIII! I know this sounds cliched, but your support really does mean a lot to me! :D**

 **MNC: You'll be meetin' the mysterious Vengeance sooner than you think ;D YAY! You found my account! :D**

 **MoC: Yaass, I love making up new villains and weapons, and I think you won't be disappointed! :D And yes, the Ninja are still _veeery_ arachnophobic XD**

 **LovetheLORD: Way to show him who's boss, gal! :D Cadio needed that XD**

 **Okay, I wanted to give you some short updates on upcoming stories before I take off (yes, I've got more than what I stuck in that huge author's note XD):**

 _ **Heroes Unwanted**_ **: I came up with this completely by accident, when I was working on a section for my upcoming geek-fic, _An Extensive (and Hopefully Not Boring) Guide to TJ's Ninjago Universes_. Here's the summary: There's a new team of heroes on the prowl in Ninjago, but to the surprise of the Ninja, this band of do-gooders and their help hasn't been readily accepted by the people of Ninjago. Why? Because they're outcasts.**

 _ **Ronin's Ruin:**_ **(that's a temporary title, btw) This is a new PeaceTime story focusing on everyone's favorite Ninjago mercenary, who, to quote another writer: has the backstory of Captain Jack Sparrow, the personality of Han Solo, and the ship of Boba Fett! :D**

 **Um. . . dang, just ran out of time, so gotta run! Hope you likey!**

* * *

 **Chapter IX: In the Middle of the Night**

Jayjay tossed and turned in his bed, unable to fall back to sleep. He had just awoken from a mysterious nightmare, vividly burned in his mind like a branding mark. It was somewhat jumbled in his mind, but he was sure this wasn't just some random mix and matching of thoughts.

"Psst. Jayjay." Kacey peeked into his room.

Jayjay sat bolt upright. Kacey's bold green eyes always startled him. They were as bright as emeralds, even in the middle of the night. "Hey, Kacey. Hang on a tick." He crawled out his bed and hastily pulled a bathrobe on over his pajamas. After splashing water on his face, he joined his adopted sister in the hallway. "Can't sleep either, huh?"

Kacey shook her head. "I had a really weird nightmare, and it just didn't seem normal. The memory is somewhat mixed up, but it's fixed in my mind like a mouse in a glue trap."

Jayjay's eyes widened. "Oookay, that's just too creepy, because I had a nightmare just like that!"

Kacey shivered. "Do you think it's just a coincidence?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't believe in coincidences. All things happen for a reason. Who determines those reason and how they come about, I don't know. Maybe it's a warning or message of some sort."

Kacey released another nervous twitch. "If the others had nightmares like ours, maybe you're right and it _is_ a warning. Odd how they happened right after we were told about Vengeance."

"That's not a coincidence, either," Jayjay said firmly. "I'm going to go check on Matthias and Avery."

"I'll go peek in on Thalia and Saige."

"Meet me back at the main complex when you're done."

"Right. See you there."

* * *

Jayjay jumped up two floors, hopping from balcony to balcony, until he reached the fourth floor, where the Fieros lived. Hoisting himself up onto Matthias's balcony, he tapped the bamboo screen door, and it went clear as glass. He peered through it to see his cousin fast asleep in bed, a contented look on his face. "He's got the okay," Jayjay muttered. "Now, let's see about Avery."

* * *

Avery sat straight up in bed, heart pounding and breathing heavily. "It was only a nightmare," he told himself. But he was still sweating from the experience, and he wasn't sure Nindroids could sweat.

He pulled on a robe, put on his glasses, and tiptoed down the hall toward his sisters' rooms. He peeked into their rooms, and saw Annaliese and Annika fast asleep in their beds, faces emotionless.

 _That's peculiar_ , he thought as he crept quietly back into his room. _I wonder-_

 _Knock knock._ Someone was tapping on his balcony door. He went to open it. "JAYJAY?!"

" _Shh!"_ Jayjay put a finger to his lips. "Keep it down, Ave, I'm trying to do this quietly. Can't sleep?"

Avery shook his head. "No. What are you doing on my balcony?"

"No time to explain. We probably should go over to the main training complex. We can talk there."

Avery was confused, but he nodded. "But how exactly are we going to do that?"

Jayjay rolled his eyes. "Come _on,_ Avery, this isn't Master Chen's palace anymore. It's not infested with guards or Kabuki dancers or anything."

"Yes, but it still can be hard to sneak around."

* * *

Kacey peered in through Thalia's window. The Master of Earth's oldest daughter was fast asleep, and showed no sign of waking up. "One down, one more to go," she muttered.

Like a gecko on a windowpane, she scaled the wall of the living apartments until she reached the top floor, where the Garmadons lived. She tapped the sliding door of Saige's room, and it cleared to reveal the Heir to the Green Ninja curled up in bed, a happy smile on her sleeping face.

"Can't sleep, Kacey?" Kacey whirled around to see Sapphire next to her on the balcony where there was nothing but shadow before.

"Don't sneak up on me like that, Sapphire! Geez, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

A small smile inched its way across Sapphire's shadowy features. "I just sensed your presence somehow and thought I'd pay you a little visit. Did you have a nightmare too?"

"Yeah. Come on, we should head over to the main training complex. Jayjay should be there by now."

Sapphire frowned. "Why are you and Jayjay sneaking around the pitch black of night? The senseis aren't going to be pleased if they find us out of bed after hours."

"But this is really, really, really, really, really-"

"Kacey."

"Aah, lost track of my 'really's'. Oh yeah, -really, really, _really_ important."

Sapphire stifled a giggle. "Okay, if you put it that way."

* * *

The girls met up with the boys in the room where they did evening, and sometimes sunrise, exercises. "So, here's the deal," Jayjay said. "Each of us had a nightmare, kinda mixed up in the memory, but something that wasn't a mix-up _of_ memories. Am I right so far?"

The others nodded. "And it's not a coincidence that it happened to us on the same night, nor that it happened after we were told about Vengeance," Jayjay continued. "I have the hypothesis that these nightmares are either warnings, or messages, or probably both. And there's only one way to test my theory."

* * *

 **The Nightmares: Part the First**

 **Jayjay's nightmare:** " _I was standing in the city of Stiix, on the bridge into the city. It was completely empty, no one in the houses, no one on the streets, not a single lamp or light was lit._

 _"Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning, followed by a crack of thunder, engulfed Stiix, and lights and lanterns suddenly flickered on. They glowed with a weird, greenish-gold fluorescence, not really of this world. Not like the color of banished spirits, but still otherworldly. I saw smoky beings walking the streets, and everything they touched turned that same, pale smoke color. Their forms were somewhat dim, but I could have sworn I saw a patrol of about ten Nindroid Warriors marching the streets, forms wavering like the way smoke does when a wind blows it._

 _"I couldn't stop myself from crossing the bridge into Stiix itself, wanting to get a closer look at the smoke-beings. Then Stiix seemed to sink into the water and vanish completely, along with the smoke-things. I fell into the water too, but I didn't feel wet, nor did the water feel like water._

 _"Then, I saw another smoke-person, dressed in the armor of an Anacondrai general, and in the Deepstone Armor that our fathers wore when they faced off against Morro. He looked a lot like the Master of Fire, Sensei Kai's father. He had a dark, obsidian trident gripped in one hand, and a purple ball of Dark Magic, like what Clouse used, in the other. He scowled when he saw me. He pointed his trident at me, and I was suddenly tied up with strangleweed. He laughed evilly as I struggled to free myself._

 _"'So you are the one destined to bring all of Cartlantia to its knees?' he scoffed. 'A mere toy, you are. You're not powerful. You can't even break through my strangleweed.' He pointed his trident at me again, and I fell unconscious, his laughter ringing through my ears. 'You shall sacrifice much, but gain little, Jayjay Walker, son of Jay Walker. That is, if you cannot bring yourself down.' Then, I woke up._ "

 **Kacey's nightmare:** _"I was walking through a dark and dense rainforest-type environment. It was humid, dank, and murky. I could feel mud squishing underneath my feet as I walked. I was searching for something, but I'm not sure what._

 _"Suddenly, vines from around the trees ensnared me, and I was hanging upside down above a pit of quicksand. The vines could only hold me for so long, and they snapped. I fell toward the quicksand, but before I fell in, a net made of stronger vines caught me and pulled me away._

 _"Someone was controlling the vines. He looked like someone Jayjay's dad mentioned in a lesson of Ninjago Fighters, the Master of Nature. He had a wooden staff with a ball of green leaves wrapped around it. 'You may have escaped that trap,' he told me, 'but there are more cunningly hidden ones in store for you.' With that, he handed me the staff. 'The sounds of nature call to you, Kacey Delancey. Listen to them, and listen well.' He vanished into the forest without another word._

 _"After he disappeared, smoky figures, like in Jayjay's nightmare, appeared around me, completely hemming me in. They looked a lot like the Overlord's Stone Warriors. I tried using the staff to control the vines, but they wouldn't obey me. Instead, they wrapped around me, suffocating me, while the smoke-figures laughed and jeered at me. Then, I woke up._ "

 **Avery's nightmare:** " _I was in a frozen wasteland, frosty winds and blasts of ice whipping around me in torrents. A shadowy figure, hooded and cloaked, approached me, feet making no imprint on the snow-covered ground. His hands were the only visible thing under the cloak, gnarled and withered, like an old man's. But then they seemed to strengthen, grow younger, the creases and imperfections vanishing in the blink of an eye. His eyes glowed underneath the hood, a mysterious ice-blue color, like my father's eyes when he's in Titanium mode. Except that they burned with an intense anger, a hungry desire for vengeance._

 _"He emanated an aura of cold pure fear, filled with hatred, deceit, and despair. I was completely paralyzed, completely terrified. It was the most horrifying feeling I've ever experienced._

 _"He stretched his hands out toward me, eyes closed tightly in concentration. Suddenly, I felt dizzy, dazed, and confused. I teetered and wobbled for a while, mind spinning like a berserk cyclone. Finally, I collapsed into the snow, weak and exhausted. It was as if he was using my mind power as a fuel for himself, his own anger and hatred feeding on my thoughts like a predatory lion._

 _"Before I passed out and woke up, he uttered these single words: 'Darkness shall prevail.'_ "

 **Sapphire's nightmare:** " _I stood in a dark, dank, rainforest, much like what was in Kacey's nightmare._

 _"I saw a mysterious figure, not cloaked nor hooded, not at all frightening. She was a woman, with raven-black hair and ruby-red lips. Her eyes glittered blue as sapphires, and they kept darting about her nervously. She wore a flowing gray dress scattered with jewels and gems, and the dress seemed to blend in with the shadows around her._

 _"The woman looked so familiar to me, though I couldn't place who she was. After glancing about her nervously for about a minute, she looked directly at me. 'Sapphire,' she said. Her voice was choked with fear._

 _"Then, I knew who she was. 'Mother?'_

 _"'I have little time, my jewel,' she said. 'The Dark Mistress prepares to strike soon. She will spare no one. Shadows will rule the light. But even the dimmest of diamonds can shine with beauty. Be that diamond, my darling. Help bring back the light with shadow.'_

 _"I reached toward her, crying out, 'Mother! What is the meaning of this?'_

 _"But my mother was slowly fading away into the darkness. 'Sapphire. . .' her voice grew weaker. 'Bring. . . back . . . the light. . .' Then she vanished. I was in tears when I woke up._ "

* * *

Sapphire tried hard not to sob now as she finished relating her dream. She didn't realize she was crying until Kacey gently put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Sapphire," she murmured softly, "I know how you feel. I miss my mother too."

While she was comforting her, the boys were puzzling over the four nightmares. "I've never heard of a place called Cartlantia," Jayjay noted. "But the man in my dream said I would bring it to its knees. That's a good thing right?"

"If we knew more about Cartlantia perhaps it might," Avery pointed out. "But what about the fact that he said, 'If you can bring yourself down'?"

"I don't know what that could mean," Jayjay shrugged. "My brain's really kinda fuzzy, now that I think about it."

"And what did Sapphire's mother mean when she said, 'the Dark Mistress'?" Avery wondered. "If she had used the term, 'Dark Lord', that would refer to Lord Garmadon, before his corruption was banished."

"It could also refer to Darth Vader or Voldemort," Jayjay suggested, stifling a smile.

"Darth Vader is a science-fiction character, and Voldemort is a fiction character," Avery said flatly. "They do not exist. And neither does Lord Garmadon."

"Whaddya mean Darth Vader doesn't exist?"

"Let's get back on track," Avery said quickly. "She could be referring to Vengeance, because she is female. Or possibly the Preeminent, but I sincerely hope not." He pushed up his glasses. "The only way to fully test your theory is to check to see if any other students have experienced peculiar nightmares this night."

"We checked in on Saige, Matthias, and Thalia," Jayjay remembered. "They were sleeping like cats in a sunbeam."

"What about the others?"

"What _about_ the others?"

Avery frowned. "To draw a probable conclusion, you should leave no stone unturned, to borrow the colloquialism. And what if the others had a nightmare _after_ you checked?"

Jayjay scowled. "I can't think of every possibility, genius. If we did that, we'd have to double back and check on them every two seconds."

"Mind if we crash your party?"

* * *

Matthias, Krissy, and Lloyd Jr. climbed into the training complex through an open window. Jayjay and Avery nearly jumped two feet. "Cheez whiz, Matt," Jayjay gasped, "next time, give us a warning, will ya? I almost went into shock!"

"What kind of shock?" Krissy asked nervously. "Electrical shock, paralytic shock, or surprised shock?"

"The electrical kind." Jayjay's eyes were glowing bright blue, almost white, and his bare hands were sparking with fun-size lightning bolts. He balled his hands into fists, and the electricity disappeared. The glow vanished from his eyes, and he looked like a normal teenager again.

"Wow, Kris," Lloyd Jr. muttered, "sometimes you're worse than Fear."

Krissy scowled. "Ex _cuse_ me?"

"Save it for the next millennium, you two," Matthias said hastily. He turned to Jayjay and Avery. "We couldn't sleep, so we went to see if you guys were awake. When we found your beds empty, we figured you managed to sneak over here."

"Let me guess," Avery said grimly, "you had nightmares too?"

Matthias nodded. "They made so little sense that I could barely think straight."

"Why don't you tell us about them?" Kacey suggested.

* * *

 **The Nightmares: Part the Second**

 **Matthias's nightmare:** " _I was in some kind of volcano, or lava pit of some sort. It looked something like the inside of the Fire Temple, minus the Sword of Fire._

 _"Anyway, I saw a smoky shadow creeping along the wall. I followed it around a corner, but then it turned on me. I was ready to fight, but it put its palms up in surrender._

 _"He was completely made of smoke, floating like a ghost above the ground. It had eyes of fire shaded by a gray cloak, and spoke in a raspy whisper. 'Son of Fire,' he said, 'you shall never defeat the ones of the spirit, unless you unleash your hidden blaze upon those you will curse you.' Then he vanished into the lava._

 _"Just then, I was attacked by enemies who looked a lot like Skeleton Warriors, but when I tried to land a blow, they just vanished and rematerialized somewhere else. Just as a Skulkin knocked me upside the head, I woke up with a burning headache._ "

 **Krissy's nightmare:** " _I stood at the edge of what looked like an abandoned metal quarry. There was no one there, except for a man completely made of metal. He had fists triple the size of normal hands, and his expression was so fierce I was afraid he was an enemy and might attack me._

 _"But when he saw me, he merely gestured to himself and said, 'Before you become fighter, you must overcome fear. Do not let fear control you, or it will cost you ones you love.' He had a thick accent, so it was tricky to understand him._

 _"When he finished speaking, he banged his fists together, and disappeared into a silver cloud. Then I was attacked by ghostly Skeleton Warriors, and was about to become roadkill when I woke up._ "

* * *

Krissy's forehead was beaded with sweat. "I was sure that would be the end of me."

"Not many people die in their dreams," Lloyd Jr. pointed out irritably. He had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, and his windswept blond hair was even more messy than usual. Sapphire knew her adopted brother easily got cross when he didn't get enough sleep.

"What about you, Lloyd?" she prompted carefully.

Lloyd Jr. yawned. "I didn't actually have a nightmare. I just couldn't sleep."

"That's helpful," Jayjay muttered.

Lloyd Jr. fell asleep, curling up on a training mat. "Leave him be for now," Avery said quietly. "We have more pressing matters." He had considered the nightmares related to them with much thought. "I believe I can say that your theory is correct, Jayjay," he said.

Jayjay was beginning to nod off, but he forced himself to stay awake. "How so?" he asked, releasing a loud yawn.

"These dreams are too complex to be simply directed at a group or family," Avery said. "Yes, they are warnings for specific individuals. They might be hinting at the dangers we will face, or the powers we will unlock. Yet parts of them are extremely similar. For example, the appearance of the Master of Nature, Bolobo, in Kacey's dream, and the appearance of Karlof, Master of Metal, in Krissy's. And the factor that most of the beings in our dreams are shadow-like, resembling smoke, or ghosts, or whatever you want to call it."

He turned to Sapphire. "You recognized the woman in your dream as your mother. The would be an interesting coincidence, if I believed in such. All the other beings in our nightmares have appeared as shadows or Elemental Masters. Perhaps your mother was trying to communicate something to you in your dream."

"But my mother died years ago, after my father mysteriously disappeared. How could she be able to communicate with me?"

Avery frowned, confused. "That is very peculiar," he murmured. "Let me scan you."

A beam of light darted from Avery's eye and ran its course down Sapphire's body. "Interesting," he muttered. "Probable, but not possible."

"What is it?" Sapphire demanded.

Avery shook his head. "I do not know it myself. But I can sense a hidden link within you. I don't know who created it, or why it's there, but it's there. Maybe that's how your mother is able to communicate with you."

"You speak of my mother like you know she's alive." Sapphire was growing edgy.

Avery's brow furrowed. He clamped his hands to his forehead. "My head. . ." he groaned. "Ohhh. . . what's happening to me? Everything's spinning around. . ." He collapsed to the floor in a dead faint.

The other teenagers had curled up on the floor, but not in restful sleep. Jayjay's face was twisted in pain, and he kept clawing at the air around him, muttering gibberish Sapphire couldn't interpret. Krissy had balled up in the fetal position, tears rolling down her cheeks as she slept, curling up tighter and tighter. Matthias was face-flat on the floor, and he kept rolling around, thrusting out air kicks and punches at foes Sapphire couldn't see. Kacey looked like she was being suffocated in her sleep, eyes squeezed shut and breathing with difficulty. And Lloyd Jr. was tossing and turning, rolling over, and calling out in an unknown language. Avery was collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

"I'm sorry, friends," Sapphire murmured, "but I'm going to have to get help." She slunk into the shadows and disappeared out of the main complex, toward the living apartments.


	10. The Visitor

**Hey hey fellas! TJ back again, once more breaking my promise not to put up this chapter until I finished Chapter XI XD! Ah, that's all right, I'm no closer to finishing XI than I was when I made that promise anyway XD**

 **Thank you so much for your support on Chapter IX! So happy you guys like this story! :D**

 **MasterofCupcakes: You'll find out that connection eventually ;) And I'm seriously glad that nightmares that cause physical pain aren't very usual (I think :/ )**

 **LiaLia15: Thank you so much! :D I'm glad you're enjoying this story! And it is tricky for me to keep track of the kids' names too XD**

 **The Mayor of Ninjago City: It's just her personality . . . I think. *frowns thoughtfully***

 **Also, thank you MoC and MNC for submitting your entries to my "username prompt" contest! (Contest details in the story titled "Titanium Jay")**

 **Anyway, I'm just about outta time, so see y'all later, and I hope you enjoy this next installment of _Darkness: A New Vengeance!_**

* * *

 **Chapter X: The Visitor**

While all this activity was going on at the main training complex, someone else was creeping around the shadows of the Temple of Ten Whirlwinds. Veiled in shadow, a dark figure slipped between walls and doorways like they had no depth.

He seemed to float weightlessly above the carpeted floor of the living quarters. He went right through the wall of an apartment on the first floor, the sleeping quarters of Cole and Seliel Brookstone. The two Elemental Masters were asleep on a large black and blue bed decorated with Earth and Chemistry symbols.

The mysterious stranger glided silently over to the bed. Cole's and Seliel's faces were emotionless in their slumber. The shadow waved his hand over Cole's head, and the Master of Earth's subconscious seemed to appear out of thin air. He was not dreaming, merely sleeping, his thoughts jumbled up in a milkshake of confusion.

"Ah, worries and doubts," the shadow murmured. His voice was as smooth as an iced lake, almost Serpentine. "You fear you shall fail your wife, children, friends, and students. And if you do not follow your true instincts, that is what you shall do. Let me just straighten things out for you."

He scooped out a thought, and placed it into a dark corner of Cole's subconscious: the dream-conscious. After a little poking and prodding, the thought burst like a bubble into a dream, a nightmare.

Cole frowned in his sleep as the nightmare began. The shadow watched Cole's dream-conscious with approval. "That's much better." He balled up Cole's subconscious, and gently placed it back into the Master of Earth's head.

Then he turned his attention toward Seliel. Using the same lithe hand motions, her subconscious hovered over her head like a cloud. Her thoughts were also mixed up, floating randomly through her mind like confused storks. "You worry that you do not have the respect of you compatriots?" the shadow asked. "Mm-hm. Very true. But since you doubt even that, let me nudge you along, just a bit."

Taking a thought from her subconscious, he fiddled around with it, then placed it in Seliel's dream-conscious. It too exploded into a blast of color, into another nightmare. She suddenly began writhing in her sleep, calling out in murmured protests. The shadow nodded. "Good. Very good." He brought out a tablet from under his sleeve, and checked off two names from a list he had written.

"I shall come back to the second floor, best for last," he murmured, gently replacing Seliel's subconscious. He left the two Elemental Masters tossing and turning, calling out in their sleep in agitated voices.

* * *

The mysterious shadow floated up past the second floor, and up to the third floor, the living apartments of the Julien family.

Zane and Pixal slept in two separate beds, one decorated in white and silver, the other in purple and silver. The shadow glided up to Zane's bed, where the Master of Ice was lying in restful slumber. With some difficulty, he opened up his subconscious. "Complicated android," he muttered. Then, his irritation melted as he studied Zane's subconscious. His dream-conscious was already lit, with a peaceful dream. Dream-Zane was wandering a snowy mountainscape, with only his falcon friend for company.

Carefully scrolling past the dream and into Zane's mind, he read Zane's every thought, which, unlike his friends', were neatly organized and categorized. "Hmm, only one of these thoughts will come in handy," he murmured, picking out a thought orb, dark as night, from Zane's subconscious. "Ah, you think there's still a mystery to your life, something you don't know about yourself that you _should_ know." A glimmer of a smile flickered across the shadow's face. "I'll satisfy your curiosity, gentle Zane."

He returned to Zane's dream, where the Master of Ice was approaching the Birchwood Forest where he had found his father's abandoned workshop. He carefully placed the thought he was holding into the dream, and stirred his finger around in the dream itself, so the new thought was completely mixed in. "Perfect," he purred as dream-Zane peeked into the tree where his father's workshop was hidden. "You'll discover hidden secrets, Zane, but not the ones you expect."

The shadow then drifted over to Pixal's bed. "Oh, I forgot," he said, a disappointed frown crossing his face, "you don't dream, do you? You're more robotic than your husband. Oh well. I guess I'll have to leave you alone. For now, anyway."

* * *

The shadow continued his progress up the floors to the Fiero living quarters, one floor above the Juliens. He passed through Kai and Skylor's bedroom door as if it were nonexistent, and glided up to the bed where the two Elemental Masters were sleeping. "Those pillows look soft," he remarked, and a small smile danced across the shadow's face. "Now, let me see. . ."

He turned first to Kai, who was in an emotionless sleep, much like Cole did before this strange shadow did his work. Kai's subconscious burned a bright orange, like a flame. "Your wife manages to keep you on the ground," the shadow muttered, "but just barely. Your thoughts are so scattered I can hardly read them."

Then, the shadow's eyes lit up with delight. " _Perfect!_ " He scooped a thought orb up out of Kai's subconscious and stroked it gently. "You feel there is some reason to avenge your father's death. Well, you should. After all, your father sacrificed himself because you and your sister. I guess you could say it was your fault." He tut-tutted slightly. "Tsk, tsk. Naughty boy, you were. But enough of that."

He scrolled into Kai's dream-conscious, which was dark. After gently squeezing and probing the thought orb in his hand, the shadow placed the thought into Kai's dream-conscious. It exploded into a vivid nightmare, and the Master of Fire's facial expression changed from one to restful sleep to one of confusion.

"Wonderful!" The shadow clapped his hands with pleasure. "Now, on to the mysterious Skylor."

Skylor was also in a dreamless sleep. "These ones I like," the shadow murmured as he opened up the Master of Amber's subconscious. "The ones who are so tired they can't even dream. Makes less work for me. And so many delicious thoughts to choose from! Billions of combinations of nightmares and dreams can be made here!"

He sighed. "But I have my orders not to tinker with their other thoughts." He tenderly stroked a thought orb in his palm. He suddenly got a shiver down his spine. "I haven't gotten this shock in a long, long time," he muttered. "I can relate, truly relate, to this thought." He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep from falling to the emotion. "Loneliness," he murmured, "a desire to have pupils with powers like your own to teach. Feeling set apart."

He shook himself out of his trance. "You have work to do," he reminded himself. "No time to get sentimental over days gone by." But he was thoroughly shaken by the link he had to this thought.

 _Now part of me doesn't want to do this,_ he thought. _Part of me doesn't want to put Skylor through the same pain that I experience every day._

" **Hesitating, Dremar?** " A veiled face appeared in the thought in his hand.

"Not at all, Mistress," the shadow, Dremar, replied hastily.

" **Good,** " the Mistress purred. " **I wouldn't want to take uneccessary measures if you failed in your duties.** "

"No, no, not at all." Dremar gulped nervously. "I will continue, Mistress."

The Mistress's face disappeared from the thought orb. Dremar heaved a sigh of relief. "She scares me," he muttered. He reluctantly placed the thought into Skylor's subconscious, where it popped into a nightmare. Skylor's sleeping face morphed into an expression of worry. Dremar hurriedly averted his eyes from the bed, and continued his course up to the top floor, where the Garmadons lived.

* * *

Dremar was growing more and more reluctant to carry out his orders. "I don't like this," he muttered, gliding up to Lloyd and Chamille's bed. "This could turn out _pretty_ bad if we're not careful."

He opened up Lloyd's subconscious and his hand drifted through it listlessly, uninspired to cause Lloyd grief. His hand clamped around a thought orb and he studied it. "You have feelings of weakness, incapability," he murmured. Another jolt rattled up his spine. "Another link?" He frowned as he dropped the orb into Lloyd's dream-conscious.

With distaste, he closed up Lloyd's subconscious, and created a nightmare out of one of Chamille's thoughts. "Traits run in the family," he yawned, tossing the thought into her dream-conscious. "You fear failing your family and students, just like your cousin." Chamille was now rolling over in her sleep, muttering worriedly in her dreaming.

He was about to sneak out of the building, when the veiled face reappeared in the mirror. " **Forgetting someone, Dremar?** " she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

" **The most crucial part of my plan is on the second floor, my Shadarian friend,** " the Mistress said. The eyes under her veil glowed with a mysterious purple light, unknown to most.

Dremar sighed. "Why are the Walkers so crucial to your plan, Mistress?"

" **Because the relationship between Jay and Nya is rather wobbly, despite their deep love for the other,** " the Mistress replied. " **They do not know each other well enough to read the other's feelings and emotions.** "

Dremar arched an eyebrow. "Pardon my saying so, Mistress, but they've been married for fifteen years, and they haven't had any spats or fights between them. How can they not know each other that well?"

" **You distrust my judgement, Dremar?** " The Mistress's tone was dangerously soft.

"I do not distrust it, I merely wonder. I am a Shadarian DreamMaster, it is my duty to know every aspect within the human and inhuman mentality. That includes the relationship between a husband and wife. I have every right to have doubts."

The Mistress nodded begrudgingly. " **Yes, I suppose you do. The only thing holding each other back is that they do not tell the other their hidden worry. Jay feels insecure with his relationship with Nya, always feeling like he has to prove something to her, that he's good enough for her. Nya, on the other hand, doubts that Jay even loves her, believing that if he truly loved her, he would display his affections more prominently.** "

"That makes sense in a," Dremar coughed, " _convoluted_ way, Mistress."

" **Convoluted.** " The Mistress gave Dremar a look. " **Is that all?** "

"Given more time, I could probably come up with a better way to describe that logic, Mistress."

" **Speaking of time,** " the Mistress's face morphed into a clock, " **it's almost midnight. If you don't want to be banished back to your Dreamscape Realm, I suggest you follow through on your orders and then report back to headquarters.** "

Dremar moaned inwardly. "As you wish, Mistress." The Mistress's face disappeared from the mirror.

* * *

Yawning, Dremar sank through the floors back the way he came, until he arrived at the second floor. Jay and Nya were both sleeping on a blue and red bed, marked with Lightning and Water symbols. Dremar glided up to the bed, and opened up both Jay and Nya's subconsciouses. "Amazing," Dremar gasped. "They are experiencing the same dream, minds interconnected. They love each other so deeply that their sleeping minds work as one."

Jay and Nya _were_ dreaming the exact same thing. Sitting together on a grassy green hill, they gazed up into the starlit night sky, Jay's hand coming to rest on Nya's with a timid hope. "No, no, no," Dremar moaned, eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Please, Mistress, spare them. I don't want-"

" **You must, Dremar,** " the Mistress's voice hissed in his ear. " **Do it, or you'll suffer far worse than these two.** "

"But I can't," Dremar whimpered pitifully. "To lead them astray in a lie when in their hearts they love each other purely would be wrong, cruel. The worst thing you could do to a couple like these two would be to smash their hopes and fuel their hidden worries about the other."

" **Then I shall do it myself!** " Dremar watched in horror as the Mistress stepped out of the mirror hanging on the wall opposite the bed. The train of her ghostly black dress trailed behind her as she approached the bed. Her gloved hands glowed the same mysterious purple color as her eyes. " **Weak Shadarian,** " she sneered, giving the cowering Dremar a sharp kick with the toe of her boot, " **allow me to show you how a _real_ DreamMaster does things.** "

She moved her hands through the dreams, swirling them into purple tinted nightmares. Dremar tried to sneak off, but the Mistress grabbed him roughly by the collar of his cloak. "Stay," she ordered. "See what I have created." Dremar was forced to watch the nightmares.

* * *

 _Nya suddenly jerked her hand away from Jay. "What makes you think you're good enough to even touch me?" she snapped. "You're lucky I married you, and that was only because Cole was head over heels for Seliel. I should have convinced him to marry me instead. You were the only choice, and I put up with you and your stupid joking."_

 _Jay's eyes widened in shock. "Nya, please," he pleaded, "let me prove it to you! Anything you want me to do, I'll do it! I love you, and I would do anything for you! I know I don't deserve you, but I'll do-"_

 _Before he could finish, Nya scoffed, "That's what all you guys say. Then later, you say you didn't really mean it. You're not good enough for me, Jay. I deserved better than you, you immature, cowardly, self-centered liar." She got up and stormed away._

" _Nya, wait!" Jay tried to get up and follow her, but his feet were glued to the spot. Tears rolled down his cheeks. "Nya . . ." He buried his head in his hands. Cole and Nya's jeering laughter rang in his ears as Jay sobbed._

* * *

 _Nya asked timidly, "Do you love me, Jay?"_

" _What kind of question is that?" Jay scoffed. But it wasn't his usual playfully teasing scoff. It was a cold, scornful scoff. "Would I show it if I loved you, is that what you're getting at?"_

" _Well, um . . ." Nya wasn't sure how to answer him._

" _Then that answers your question," Jay replied coldly. He pulled his hand away. "Since you doubt me, I suppose I should live up to your suspicion."_

" _I don't doubt you, Jay!" Nya protested._

 _Jay laughed mirthlessly. "If you didn't, you wouldn't have asked me if I loved you." He got up and started to walk away._

" _Jay, wait!" Nya tried to get up and follow, but she couldn't move. "Where are you going?"_

" _To find someone who doesn't doubt my love for them, even if I don't show it," he called back. "You're too suspicious, Nya. If you really knew me, you would already know my answer!"_

" _And what is your answer?" Nya called, hope shrinking._

" _You're the judge," Jay's voice echoed back to her. "According to YOUR standards, I don't love you!" His mocking laughter rang in Nya's ears as she sank to her knees, weeping._

* * *

As the subconsciouses of Jay and Nya were closed up, Dremar could see them crying in their sleep, silent tears streaming down their cheeks. The Mistress purred, " **Yes, yes, Dremar. That is exactly what we want, isn't it?** "

Dremar didn't have the courage to reply. " **Come, my servant,** " the Mistress beckoned Dremar back through the mirror, " **now that our time here is complete, we have more matters to attend to.** "

With that, the two shadows vanished into the mirror. Just as they left, an alarm buzzer went off. Jay and Nya woke up with a start. They stared at each other, noticing the other's red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "Nightmares!"


End file.
